Hiroshi Okawa (1896 - 1971)

Business magnate. Also served as president of Toei Motion Picture company. (bio by: Warrick L. Barrett)

Thomas Arthur O’Donnell (1870 - 1945)

Industrialist, Philantropist. He became known as one of the “big four” in the California oil industry, along with Edward L. Doheny, Charles A. Canfield and Max H. Whittier. Starting out as a newsboy in his native McKean, Pennsylvania, O’Donnell went to Colorado at age 12 and for seven years worked as a grocery store clerk […]

Charles Yelverton O’Connor (1843 - 1902)

New Zealand and Australian Engineer.  This famous engineer was born in Gravelmount, County Meath, Ireland in 1843. Just before the potato famine hit Ireland, his family moved to Waterford, England, where he completed his studies and became a professional engineer.  The poor economic conditions in Ireland forced the family to move to New Zealand in […]

William Shoney O’Brien (1970 - 1878)

Businessman, Silver Tycoon. Born in Ireland and coming to the United States in 1845, O’Brien went to California following the Gold Rush in 1849. Finding little success at mining, he settled in San Francisco where he joined with James Flood to open the Auction Lunch Saloon in 1854, which they operated until 1866. With many […]

Byron Nugent (1842 - 1908)

Nugent founded a small company, B. Nugent & Bro. Dry Goods Company, & turned it into one of the largest operations in the midwest. (bio by: Connie Nisinger)  Family links:  Spouse:  Julia Lake Nugent (1852 – 1928)*  Children:  Edwin Nugent (1876 – 1934)*  Byron Nugent (1881 – 1906)*  Julian Lake Nugent (1893 – 1958)* *Calculated […]

Pierrepont Burt Noyes (1870 - 1959)

Business Executive. The son of Oneida Community founder John Humphrey Noyes, he studied at Colgate and Harvard Universities and joined Oneida Limited, the corporation formed from the Oneida Community commune after the death of John Humphrey Noyes. Pierrepont Noyes became the company’s President and focused its effort on producing one product, and under his leadership […]

Merle Norman (1887 - 1972)

Cosmetics Magnate, Philantropist. Norman, who established her business out of her home in the late 1920s, was a contemporary of cosmetics legends Helena Rubenstein and Max Factor. She encouraged women to found their own franchise businesses where customers could enjoy free makeovers, an idea which she pioneered, and try products liberally before buying them. In […]

John W. Nordstrom (1871 - 1963)

Bussinessman. Born in Alvik Neder Lulea, Sweden, he was a entrepreneur most noted for being the founder of Nordstrom’s department stores. In 1887, he arrived in America, worked as a wagon loader, brick worker, lumberjack and potato farmer, then made a small fortune in the Alaska Gold Rush. Settling in Seattle in 1901, he opened […]

William Nolker (1840 - 1970)

Born in Germany, Nolker was treasurer of the St. Louis Brewing Association. He began his business career in the hotel & restaurant business, then became a messenger for the banking house of Fallis, Young & Company. He later was the general manager of the Vulcan Manufacturing Company & then later became the head of that […]

Louis Theodore Nolker (1877 - 1914)

Nolker, the son of brewer William Nolker, was the president of the Commercial Electrial Supply Company, president of the St. Louis Credit Agency Company, vice-president of the Guarantee Electrical Company. An avid horseback rider, he was noted for his many club memberships including the Missouri Athletic Club, Glen Echo Country Club, Valley Park Canoe Club, […]

Frederick Booker Noe, II (1929 - 2004)

Business Magnate, Folk Figure. Master Distiller Emeritus, grandson of Jim Beam. Known to his friends as “Booker,” he was the sixth generation of his family to head the distillery that was founded in 1795. His picture (along with his five other antecedants) is on the label of Jim Beam bourbon. In 1988, he released “Booker’s […]

Lewis Nixon (1861 - 1940)

Naval Architect, Shipbuilding Executive, Businessman, and Political Activist. He is remembered for designing the US Navy’s first modern battleships, and supervising the construction of its first modern submarines. Born in Leesburg, Virginia he received an appointment to attend the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland and graduated first in his class in 1882. He was […]

Thomas Key Niedringhaus (1860 - 1970)

Vice-president & manager of the St. Louis Stamping Company until it merged with the National Enameling & Stamping Company. He was the vice-president & director of this firm as well as vice-president of the Commonwealth Steel Company & secretary of the Granite Realty & Investment Company. He was nominated for U.S. Senator in 1905, but […]

Henry Nicolaus (1850 - 1938)

Henry was the son-in-law of brewer Louis Schlossstein of the Old Uhrig Brewery. After an apprenticeship in Bavaria, at the age of 18, Henry came to St. Louis in 1867 & worked at the Becker & Hoppe malt house, St. Louis’ largest. He later worked at the National Brewery & Anheuser-Busch before returning to Europe […]

William Nickerson, Jr (1879 - 1945)

Businessman, Founder. Nickerson was a pioneer and entrepreneur of Black business in Los Angeles. He was the founder and first president of Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company, which was the first African American life insurance company on the west coast and the largest African American life insurance company in the state of California. He […]

Nezu Kaichiro (1860 - 1940)

Business and politician. Nezu founded the Teikoku Oil Company. Born into an established merchant family in Yamanashi, Yamanashi Prefecture, he moved to Tokyo in 1897, and became independently wealthy through stock investments. Nezu was elected as a member of the House of Representatives in the National Diet in 1904 and won three subsequent reelections. He […]

Samuel I. Newhouse (1895 - 1979)

Businessman, Publisher. Born Solomon Isadore Neuhaus in Manhattan, New York, he was a broadcasting businessman, magazine and newspaper publisher. He was best known as the founder of Advance Publications, which went on to be one of the world’s largest media and communications companies. His interest included owning more then 30 newspapers, as well as numerous […]

Henry Mayo Newhall (1825 - 1882)

Western Pioneer. He was businessman whose extensive land holdings became the California communities of Newhall, Saugus, Santa Clarita and Valencia. In 1850, he came to California to search for gold but when he arrived many of the good mining sites had already been claimed. Settling in San Francisco, he opened the H.M. Newhall & Company, […]

John R. Newberry (1970 - 1933)

Businessman. A pioneer Los Angeles grocer, he founded J.R. Newberry and Company in 1898, one of the first chain grocery stores in Los Angeles. He built Newberry’s into a chain of 60 markets. (bio by: Scott G)  Family links:  Spouse:  Clara Ramsey Newberry (1851 – 1933)* *Calculated relationship

Walter Neurath (1970 - 1970)

Founder of Thames and Hudson publishers in 1949.

J.B. Nethercutt (1913 - 2004)

Cosmetics Manufacturer and Car Collector. He co-founded Merle Norman Cosmetics, producing cosmetics for sale in 1931. Respected in the beauty industry as an expert on cosmetic chemistry, he created a number of his firm’s most popular products, including blush rouge, perfume and lipsticks. He is perhaps better known for using his wealth to assemble one […]

Henri Nestlé-Ehmant (1814 - 1890)

Business Magnate. Founder of Nestlé S.A., the world’s biggest food and beverage company, as well as one of the main creators of milk chocolate. He had sold his company by the end of 1874 and moved with his wife into Villa Nestlé, where they helped people with small loans and publicly contributed towards improving the […]

Carrie Marcus Neiman (1883 - 1953)

Businesswoman. Co-founder of Neiman-Marcus department stores, sister of Herbert Marcus. She encouraged the establishment of weekly fashion shows, fall fashion expositions, and, beginning in 1938, the annual Neiman Marcus Awards, given to designers for distinguished service in the field of fashion. She died of pleurisy at her home after an extended illness.  Family links:  Parents: […]

Morden Neilson (1879 - 1947)

Businessman. Born in Brockville, Ontario, he inherited the William Neilson Company upon his father’s death in 1915. He had grown with the company, through hand churning the ice cream to being general manager. Upon graining control of the operations, he continued to expand the company. Eskimo Pies, a popular ice cream treat were introduced in […]

Josef Neckermann (1912 - 1992)

He was the founder and owner of the very successful German mail order company Neckermann AG and also an accomplished and successful horseman and founder of the “Deutsche Sporthilfe” (German Sport Support).

Tomiro Nagase (1970 - 1970)

Founder of the Kao Soap company. (bio by: Warrick L. Barrett)

Anthony Muto (1934 - 2015)

American Fashion Designer. Muto was a fashion designer who dressed three American first ladies; Lady Bird Johnson, Rosalynn Carter and Barbara Bush. Born into a sewing family, his mother was a seamstress and his grandfather was a tailor. Confined to bed with rheumatic fever as a child, he passed the time sketching. After studying art […]

John Murray (1970 - 1843)

Businessman. Son of John Murray in Fleet Street. His father died when he was fifteen and the firm was largely run by his father’s partner, Samuel Highley. In 1803 John Murray dissolved that partnership and launched into literary speculation which earned him the name given him by Lord Byron, “the Anak of publishers.” He was […]

Ricardo Muñoz Suay (1917 - 1997)

Producer, Screenwriter. Born in Valencia, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain. An active antifascist fighter, Muñoz Suay was considered one of the most important innovators of the Spanish cinema, during the dark years of Franco’s dictatorship. His work as an assistant director, producer and screenwriter was related with films such as Luis García Berlanga’s “Bienvenido, Mr. Marshall,” “El […]

Alexander Munn (1970 - 1812)

Noted Canadian Shipbuilder. A native of Irvine (Scotland), he sailed in May of 1793 to the city of Québec and eventually opened a shipyard at the Anse-des-Mères in the Cap-Blanc borough of this city. He became one of the biggest shipbuilders of the British Empire. His remains lie beside those of his wife, Agnes Galloway, […]