Dietrich Gruen (1847 - 1911)

Watchmaker. A native of Osthofen, Germany, he was a pioneer of the pocket watch. Gruen was educated in public and private schools and learned watchmaking as an apprentice to Hans Martens in Friedburg. After emigrating to America in 1867, he married the daughter of a watchmaker and went to work for her father in Delaware. […]

Jennie Grossinger (1892 - 1972)

Hotel Developer.  Family links:  Parents:  Malka Grumet Grossinger (1870 – 1952)  Spouses:  Harry Grossinger (1889 – 1964)*  Charles C Herman (1895 – 1968)*  Siblings:  Jennie Grossinger (1892 – 1972)  Lottie Grossinger Grau (1895 – 1962)*  Harry Grossinger (1901 – 1965)* *Calculated relationship

Robert E. Gross (1897 - 1961)

Industrialist.  Chief executive officer and chairman of the Lockheed Company. (bio by: Theologianthespian)  Family links:  Parents:  Robert Haven Gross (1864 – 1942)  Mabel Bowman Bell Gross (1873 – 1964)

Courtlandt Sherrington Gross (1904 - 1982)

American Aviation Pioneer. For 25 years (1932 to 1967) he was a leading officer of Lockheed Corporation. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts and received his primary education at the Fessendon School a private boarding school for boys in West Newton, Massachusetts and his high school education at Saint George’s School, a private coeducational boarding […]

Joseph Griesedieck (1863 - 1938)

Griesedieck was a founder of Griesedieck Brothers Brewing Company, later Falstaff Brewing Company. He was a brewer in St. Louis for over 50 years. Born in Germany, Joseph came to the U.S. as a youth, working for a time in breweries in the East. Coming to St. Louis, he managed several breweries before becoming the […]

Henry Griesedieck (1860 - 1926)

Henry was the general superintendent of the Independent Breweries Company & former president of the company, which was a consolidation of nine St. Louis breweries. Born in Germany, Henry came to the U.S. in 1870 & entered the employ of the Lafayette Brewery in St. Louis as an office boy. In 1878 he associated with […]

Sir Thomas Gresham (1970 - 1579)

Businessman. Considered the greatest merchant of his day, financial agent to Queen Elizabeth 1st. Formulated ‘Gresham’s Law’ on the dangers of false coin (“bad money drives out good”). Founded the Royal Exchange in 1570 which marked the beginning of the growth of London as a financial centre. The grasshopper which was part of his coat […]

John Robert Gregg (1867 - 1948)

In 1888, he perfected the Gregg Shorthand System, which is used throughout the world and has been adapted to 11 languages. Gregg founded a school in Chicago to teach his system and other business subjects. He directed a firm that published his books and edited 2 business magazines.

Hank Greenspun (1909 - 1989)

Newspaper Publisher, Real Estate Entrepreneur. He was a pivotal figure in Nevada politics and history. He started out as publicity agent for the fledgling Flamingo Hotel, operated by Ben “Bugsy” Siegel. In 1949, he bought a struggling newspaper, renamed it the Las Vegas Sun, and transformed it into an independent voice in the corrupt, mob-influenced […]

William Augustus “Gus” Greenlee (1895 - 1952)

Businessman, owner of the Pittsburgh Crawfords baseball team.  William Augustus “Gus” Greenlee was born near the Blue Ridge Mountains in Marion North Carolina.  In 1916, Greenlee migrated north to Pittsburgh becoming a racketeer and bootlegger.  He put the fortune he made into the Crawford Bar & Grill and the Pittsburgh Crawfords baseball team.  He also […]

Colton Greene (1833 - 1900)

Civil War Confederate Army Officer, Business Magnate. Confederate General who later organized State Savings Bank and the Tennessee Club. (bio by: Anonymous)  Inscription:First President The Tennessee Club 1875

Julien Green (1900 - 1998)

Author, Playwright. He was born in Paris, France. In 1970 the Académie Française awarded Green its grand prize for literature. Next year he was the first person of American parentage to be elected to the Académie Française. He is remembered for his books “Moïra,” “Chaque Homme dans sa Nuit” (about the troubles of a young […]

Henrietta Howland “Hetty” Robinson Green (1834 - 1916)

Businesswoman. She inherited $10 million dollars, which she parlayed into a vastly greater sum through shrewd stock investments. She was the richest woman in the world during the early 20th Century. An incredibly miserly woman (her nickname was the “Witch of Wall Street”), her eccentricies became legendary in her time.  Family links:  Parents:  Edward Mott […]

Malcolm E Gray (1867 - 1932)

Businessman. The inventor of the five-day work week, he was the president, owner and primary inventor at the Rochester Can Company in the 1910s when he had the chance to observe Alfred Wright’s system of Monday-to-Friday and a half day on Saturday, which gave Wright’s employees a half day free of work to recuperate before […]

Admiral Nelson Gray (1970 - 1862)

Newspaper Publisher. He was a co-founder of the Cleveland “Plain Dealer” newspaper.  Family links:  Spouse:  Roxanna A Gray (____ – 1887)* *Calculated relationship

Henry Charles Grawemeyer (1912 - 1993)

Businessman, Philanthropist. Best known for creating the Grawemeyer Awards – international awards in music composistion, world order, education, psychology and religion. The $200,000 each recipient recieves make these awards among the largest world wide. Winners have included former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev and Norwegian prime minister Gro Harlan Brundtland. (bio by: Mike Maloney)  Family links: […]

Henry Graves (1806 - 1892)

Printer, founded Illustrated London news.  Family links:  Children:  Algernon Graves (1845 – 1922)* *Calculated relationship

William Thomas Grant (1876 - 1972)

Businessman. He founded the W.T. Grant Department Store chain, which at its height included over 1,200 locations. Started in 1906 in Lynn, Massachusetts with a 25 cent ceiling on prices, it grew to a business empire after World War I. After his death, though, the empire collapse in what is to date the largest retail […]

Bill Graham (1931 - 1991)

Businessman. He was a pioneering music talent promotor and impresario who is considered by many to be the “Father of the Modern Music Business”. The many musical singers and acts he promoted and stages shows for at his music venues include Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Led Zepplin, Cream, Crosby, Stills, Nash & […]

Archibald Gracie (1755 - 1829)

Businessman. He was a business magnate who accumulated great wealth through his shipping industry. He built the famous Gracie Mansion, which is now the official residence of the Mayors of New York City, New York.  Family links:  Spouse:  Esther Rogers Gracie (1757 – 1833)*  Children:  Eliza Gracie King (1790 – 1825)*  Sarah Rogers Gracie King […]

W.T. Grace (1907 - 1989)

Founder of Helen Grace Candy. He began his career as a candy assistant.  Family links:  Parents:  James Grace (1865 – 1913)  Mary Della Fisher Luten (1878 – 1969)  Spouse:  Helen Grace (1914 – 2002)  Siblings:  Leona Brook Fraseur (1896 – 1960)**  James Grace (1902 – 1902)**  James R Grace (1904 – 1923)*  India Grace Sax […]

Helen Grace (1914 - 2002)

Businesswoman. With her former husband W.T. Grace together they founded the company “Helen Grace Candy”. He began his career as a candy assistant, then formed his own putting her name on the company. (bio by: Graving Queen of the OC)  Family links:  Spouse:  W.T. Grace (1907 – 1989)* *Calculated relationship

Jay Gould (1836 - 1892)

Businessman. He was born into poverty on May 27, 1836 in Roxbury, New York.  Too frail for farming, Gould’s early career in land surveying and commodity speculation got him interested in railroad stocks, which were the high-growth glamour issues of the day. In 1859 he moved to New York City, where he became a broker […]

Sam Goody (1904 - 1991)

Record Store Magnate.  Family links:  Spouse:  Sadie Goody (1911 – 1996)*  Children:  Howard Goody (1942 – 2002)* *Calculated relationship

Julian Goodman (1922 - 2012)

Television Executive. In 1945, he began at the NBC television studios as a correspondent during the formative years of television news and entertainment, going on to set industry standards. He rose through the ranks to become executive vice president, chief executive officer and retired as chairman of the NBC Television Network in 1979. In his […]

Samuel Gompers (1850 - 1924)

Labor Leader. He was born in London and together with his family immigrated to America in 1863. They lived on the Lower East Side, where he found work as a cigar-maker. In 1864 he joined the Cigar Makers’ International Union. He became an American citizen in 1872. Gompers had seen what things were like for […]

Leon Shaffer Golnick (1913 - 1999)

Businessman. Pioneer of syndicated automotive and financial advertising, and was the founder of Golnick Advertising in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. As a youth was a vaudeville song-and-dance man.

Phillip York Goldman (1964 - 2003)

Businessman, Scientist. A Silicon Valley engineer and entrepreneur, he was a Princeton University computer science graduate and also won 19 patents. He worked for Apple Computers and General Magic, before being one of the three founding members of Webtv Inc. After the sale of Webtv Inc. to Microsoft, he founded Mailblocks where he was working […]

Solomon Harry “Sol” Goldberg (1880 - 1940)

Businessman. He founded the Hump Hairpin Manufacturing Company in Chicago, Illinois, making his fortune when in 1915 he patented a hairpin made with ridges so they would not fall out of hair.

Larry Goldberg (1934 - 2003)

Businessman. Owner of several pizza establishments in New York City known as Goldberg’s Pizza. Winner of the best pizza award for many years. Author of the books “Controlled Cheating: The Fats Goldberg,” “Take It Off, Keep It Off Diet Program” and “The Goldberg’s Pizza Book.”  (bio by: Erik Lander)  Family links:  Parents:  Arthur P. Goldberg […]