David Hall McConnell (1858 - 1937)

Founder of California Perfume Company in 1928, which became Avon Company.

Glenn Herbert “King of the Wildcatters” McCarthy (1907 - 1988)

Developer of Shamrock Hotels. ‘Oil Man.’  Family links:  Parents:  William Peter McCarthy (1886 – 1959)  Leah Townsend McCarthy (1890 – 1979)  Spouse:  Faustine Lee McCarthy (1913 – 2003)*  Children:  Mary Margaret McCarthy Davis (1931 – 1988)*  Faustine Lee McCarthy Garbrecht (1937 – 2012)* *Calculated relationship

Frederick Louis Maytag (1857 - 1937)

Business Magnate. He founded the Maytag Appliance Company’s, and was its first president.  Family links:  Parents:  Daniel Maytag (1831 – 1906)  Amelia Maytag (1837 – 1905)  Spouse:  Conradena Wilhelmina Bergman Maytag (1859 – 1934)*  Children:  Elmer Henry Maytag (1883 – 1940)*  Louise Bergman Maytag Smith (1885 – 1973)*  Lewis Bergman Maytag (1888 – 1967)*  Freda […]

Louis B Mayer (1884 - 1957)

Louis B Mayer Motion Picture Executive. As Vice President in charge of production at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer from its inception until 1951, he was the mightiest of Hollywood moguls. Although not creative himself, he was an administrative genius whose best efforts epitomized all the virtues of the major studio system.  Mayer’s MGM was the ultimate “dream factory”, […]

Tom May (1883 - 1968)

Founder of May Company Department stores.  Family links:  Parents:  Morton J. May (1881 – 1968)  Florence Goldman May (1884 – 1938)  Spouse:  Anita Kay Keiler May (1891 – 1976)*  Children:  Blanche Rose May Selden (1916 – 1943)*  Siblings:  Tom May (1883 – 1968)  Sarah Jane May Waldheim (1911 – 2004)*  Morton D May (1914 – […]

Earl May (1888 - 1946)

Pioneer in the mail order seed business.  Family links:  Parents:  Richard May (1849 – 1912)  Rosa Ernest May (1854 – 1931)  Spouse:  Gertrude Frances Welch May (1892 – 1973)*  Children:  Mary Frances May Rankin (1917 – 1996)*  Edward Welch May (1919 – 1997)*  Siblings:  Flora May Snee (1875 – 1961)*  Earl May (1888 – 1946) […]

John Mavrakos (1913 - 1975)

Founder of the St. Louis-based Mavrakos Candy Company. (bio by: Connie Nisinger)

John Matthews (1970 - 1870)

Inventor, Businessman. Born in England, he was known as “The Soda Fountain King”. Immigrating to America, in the mid-19th Century, he created a fountain apparatus that could be positioned on a pharmacist’s counter to dispense carbonated drinks. He also invented a method to put carbonated soda water into pressured bottles. Manufacturing the carbonating machinery, his […]

Masayoshi Matsukata (1835 - 1924)

Founder of the Nippon Bank. Matsukata, a native of Kagoshima prefecture, also served terms as the 4th and 6th Prime Ministers of Japan from May 6, 1891 to August 8, 1892 and September 18, 1896 to January 12, 1898, respectively. (bio by: Warrick L. Barrett)  Family links:  Children:  Kingiro Matsukata (____ – 1906)* *Calculated relationship

William Henry Mathews (1838 - 1932)

Newspaper innovator. During his 50-year tenure as President and co-publisher (with Colonel Nathan Pond) of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, he introduced linotype machines to the American press, which eliminated typesetting by hand and produced faster and more accurate newspaper production.  (bio by: Mount Hope NY)  Family links:  Spouse:  Frances Augusta Walbridge Mathews (1845 – […]

Günter Mast (1926 - 2011)

Entrepreneur. He transformed an obscure German drink called Jägermeister into an international top-selling liquor. He also pioneered soccer (football) jersey sponsorship in Germany. After completing military service, Mast studied economics and then worked in the finance department of his hometown newspaper, the “Braunschweiger Zeitung”. In 1952 he joined the firm of his uncle, Curt Mast, […]

Paul Masson (1859 - 1940)

Vintner (wine maker).

Maria Clementine Martin (1775 - 1843)

She was a nun, and after secularization she became a nurse and later a businesswoman. She invented the herbal drink “Melissengeist,” and in 1826 founded the company “Klosterfrau Melissengeist” which continues to be a large and successful business in Germany today.

Simon Marks (1888 - 1964)

Business Magnate. Son of the co-founder of one of Britains leading department stores Marks & Spencer, which has shops the world over. It was Simon Marks, who in the 1920s introduced the famous “St. Michael” brand which is famously sold in Marks & Spencer stores. (bio by: Kieran Smith)  Family links:  Parents:  Michael Marks (1859 […]

(1901 - 1996)

Inventor, Philanthropist. He perfected the design of the single-handed faucet in 1954.  Family links:  Parents:  Tacvor Manoogian (1877 – 1949)  Tacouhi Manoogian (1884 – 1975)  Spouse:  Marie Tatian Manoogian (1903 – 1993)

Robert Lund (1925 - 1995)

Businessman. He started the American Museum of Magic in Marshall, Michigan, which is the largest magic museum in the world, containing some half-million pieces of memorabilia, as well as an archive of thousands of little-known conjurors. Items on display at the museum include the “Milk Can” escape equipment of Houdini. (bio by: Graveaddiction)

Henry Robinson Luce, II (1898 - 1967)

Magazine Magnate. Publisher of Sports Illustrated, Life and Time Magazine.  Family links:  Parents:  Henry Winters Luce (1868 – 1941)  Spouse:  Clare Boothe Luce (1903 – 1987)*  Children:  Henry R Luce (1925 – 2005)* *Calculated relationship

Cyril Lord (1911 - 1984)

Powerful British textile magnate of the 20th Century. (bio by: Kieran Smith)

Henry Lomb (1828 - 1908)

Businessman. Co-Founder of Bausch And Lomb, Incorperated.  Family links:  Spouse:  Emilie Klein Lomb (1844 – 1940)* *Calculated relationship

Hart Almerrin Massey (1823 - 1896)

Industrialist,  Philanthropist. A native of what is now Alnwick/Haldimand, Ontario,  Canada,  he built the firm that became Massey-Harris, the farm equipment giant that is now Varity. His estate became the basis of the Massey Foundation, a philanthropic enterprise with multiple cultural and charitable interests. He was the grandfather of Governor General Vincent Massey and actor […]

(1896 - 1982)

Toy Magnate. At the age of sixteen and the oldest of three, Marx had to help support the family. On a friend’s recommendation, he was hired to work full-time at the Ferdinand J. Strauss Company, a toy manufacturer that produced items for Abraham & Strauss Department Stores and a pioneer in the tin toy industry. […]

(1796 - 1873)

Businessman. A guitar maker, he founded the C.F. Martin and Company. He was born into a family of cabinet makers, but during the 1820’s he moved to Vienna and learned the guitar making trade from famed guitar maker Johann Stauffer. In 1833 he left Germany and opened his own luthier shop in New York City, […]

William E. Maritz (1928 - 2001)

Chairman of the Maritz Inc. company, which is headquartered in Fenton, Missouri. Established in 1894 by his grandfather, the company was originally known as E. Maritz Jewelry Manufacturing Company. When William joined the company in 1953, it was known as Maritz Sales Builders. The family-owned company is one of the nation’s largest employee motivation companies […]

Herbert Marcus (1878 - 1950)

Businessman. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he was educated at the Louisville public schools and left during high school due to financial reasons. At the age of 15, he moved to Hillsboro, Texas, where he found work as a janitor in a general store. In 1899 he moved to Dallas, to sell life insurance, and later […]

(1814 - 1900)

One of the three operators of the firm Russell, Majors & Waddell, that founded and operated the Pony Express. (bio by: Bill Walker)  Family links:  Spouses:  Katherine Stalcup Majors (1820 – 1856)*  Susan Dudley Wetzel Majors (1837 – 1915)*  Children:  James Majors (1837 – 1837)*  Missouri Amanda Majors Simpson (1840 – ____)*  Benjamin Captain Majors […]

John M. “Jack” Mack (1864 - 1924)

Businessman. He was the founder of Mack Trucks, which is now North America’s largest producers of heavy-duty trucks. Their line of medium-duty trucks are now sold in more than 65 countries worldwide.  Family links:  Spouse:  Mary S. Mack (1874 – 1955)

Henry Robinson Luce, II (1898 - 1967)

Magazine Magnate. Publisher of Sports Illustrated, Life and Time Magazine.  Family links:  Parents:  Henry Winters Luce (1868 – 1941)  Spouse:  Clare Boothe Luce (1903 – 1987)*  Children:  Henry R Luce (1925 – 2005)* *Calculated relationship

Cyril Lord (1911 - 1984)

Powerful British textile magnate of the 20th Century. (bio by: Kieran Smith)

Henry Lomb (1828 - 1908)

Businessman. Co-Founder of Bausch And Lomb, Incorperated.  Family links:  Spouse:  Emilie Klein Lomb (1844 – 1940)* *Calculated relationship

Marcus Loew (1870 - 1927)

Pioneer Motion Picture Executive.  As founder of the Loew’s theatre chain and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios,  he played a major role in the emergence of Hollywood as the world’s movie capital.  Born Max Loew in New York City,  the son of Austrian-Jewish immigrants,  he grew up in poverty and dropped out of school at age nine to […]