Willis Carrier: Father of Cool

Willis Carrier is the pioneer of the world renowned air conditioning brand Carrier. He was born on November 26, 1876 in Angola, New York. He was a master’s degree holder in electrical engineering.

He worked with Buffalo Forge Company as engineer. His primary task was to design heating systems that would be used to dry coffee and lumber. He was able to innovate a new way to measure the heating systems’ capacity. Thus he was promoted to the position Director for experimental engineering.

In 1902, Carrier used his skill in air conditioning to devise a system that would control humidity and heat for the Brooklyn-based Sackett-Wilhelms Lithographing and Publishing Company. In 1906, Carrier’s application to patent his method was approved.

Along with six other friends, Carrier organized the Carrier Engineering Company in 1915. Using the initial investment of $32,600, the company became the pioneer in design and production of refrigeration equipment that are capable of cooling large spaces. Carrier’s products started a revolution in America.

Chester Carlson: Birthing the Electrophotographic Process

Chester Carlson was an American inventor and physicist. He was more popularly known for inventing electrophotography (known today as xerography). His process produced dry copies rather than wet copies. As time passed by, his process was renamed as xerography which means “dry writing”.

Carlson was born on February 8, 1906 in Seattle, Washington. He showed interest in inventions early on. He read the biographies of Thomas Edison and other great inventors. For Carlson, inventions would not only alleviate his economic condition but would also awaken within him his interest in technical things.

His parents got very sick so Carlson was forced to work to support his family. He started working at 8. When he was 13, he would attend school in between his times of work. He was the family’s bread winner when he was in high school.

Carlson had an insatiable enthusiasm for printing. At 10, he created This and That, a hand-crafted newspaper he would circulate among friends. He did his newspaper using a typewriter and a rubber stamp printing set.

He worked for a local publishing house when he was in high school but got frustrated that traditional duplicating techniques could not get him through his desire to publish a science magazine. His frustrations remained his motivation until his invention of the eletrophotographic process.

Carlson was a student at Riverside Junior College where he took up physics. Three years into his studies at Riverside, Carlson moved to California Institute of Technology. His earnings could not pay off his tuition fee at Caltech so that he was in debt by $1,500 when he graduated. He applied to 82 companies but none gave him a job.

He worked for Bell Telephone Laboratories as assistant to the company’s patent attorney. While at Bell, Carlson wrote over 400 ideas for new inventions. Because of his work in the patent department, he continued his pursuit to develop a duplicating machine that would do away the carbon paper or mimeographs.

Carlson’s experiments were done in his apartment’s kitchen. The experiments were hard and would often leave the kitchen smelling like rotten eggs, Carlson did not stop. When it became apparent that he has developed his electrophotographic process, he filed for an application for patent on October 18, 1937.

During that time, many large companies were also experimenting on copying paper. But unlike Carlson’s process, these companies were experimenting on using photography to duplicate paper.

Matthew Carey’s Contribution in the History of Publication

Matthew Carey was an Irish bookseller and publisher. His first publication came when he was just 17. In a pamphlet, Carey criticized the merits of dueling.  Another pamphlet came after that which criticized the severity of Ireland’s penal code.

When Carey was threatened with prosecution, he avoided arrest by going to Paris in 1779 where he met Dr. Benjamin Franklin. After working for Franklin for a year, Carey went back to Ireland to edit The Volunteer’s Journal and The Freeman’s Journal.

He moved to the US permanently in 1784. He met General Lafayette in Philadelphia who lent him money to begin his own publishing company. With his borrowings, Carey created the Columbian Magazine, the Pennsylvania Herald and American Museum. Carey was the first to print an American version of the Douay Bible. He wrote about social issues, and discussed politics.

When Carey retired in 1825, he left his business with his son Henry. Carey’s publishing house was one of the most popular in the US for several years and has produced significant works like the Encyclopedia Americana and Carey and Leah, a German lexicon.

John Browning and His Influence in Modern-Day Firearms Industry

John Browning is perhaps one person who has left an indelible mark etched throughout the history of mankind which will never be forgotten. Browning was an American gun designer who was responsible for developing a variety of civilian and military firearms, ammunition, cartridges, and other gun mechanisms still used throughout the world today. He is an icon in the development of modern semi-automatic and automatic firearms. There are at least 128 firearms patents that can be credited to him. He started making firearms at 13 and had his first patent at the age of 24.

Browning has his influence marked in almost all gun categories ever designed. He has made significant changes to most single-shot, slide action, and lever-action shotguns and rifles. But his most important contribution is perhaps on the category of auto-loading guns. He was the first to develop the most reliable auto-loading pistols. They were operated by integrated telescoping bolt and barrel shroud. Every modern-day fully-automatic firearms and semi-automatic pistols have been influenced by Browning’s integrated telescoping bolt.

The first gas-operated machine gun known as the Colt-Browning Model 1895 was also the handiwork of Browning. Its design has become the benchmark for most of the high-powered, self-loading guns today. Browning also has his own mark in the development of automatic cannon.

The most significant designs made by Browning include the Browning .50 caliber machine gun, the M1911 pistol, the Browning Automatic Rifle, and the semi-automatic shotgun which is considered a ground-breaking invention. The modern-day versions of these guns are still identical to those developed by Browning except for the minor changes in some of their intricate details and their cosmetics. Browning’s guns are arguably the world’s most copied guns.

Browning was born on January 23, 1855 in Ogden, Utah. He was a devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He died on November 26, 1926.

Torrence Boone: An Innovation Focus as Google, Inc.’s Managing Director of Agency Development

A leading presence in the technology-based marketing and advertising arenas, Torrence Boone currently serves as Google, Inc.’s Managing Director of Agency Development. His focus is on strengthening collaborative relationships with large advertising agencies, which are in an ideal position to leverage Google’s platform and technologies in achieving results for client.

Mr. Boone’s team works closely with agency constituents in devising creative strategies that effectively employ new products introduced at Google I/O annual conferences. He is particularly active in matching the expanded strategic possibilities unleashed through products such as Nexus 7 and HTML5 to specific agency needs. Another area of focus involves identifying and capitalizing on opportunities presented by cloud computing and Chrome for Android and iOS platforms. He helps devise agency pathways for reaching a wide number of targeted consumers, with content synched across stationary, tablet, and mobile devices.

A graduate of the Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, Torrence Boone completed his undergraduate studies in Economics at Stanford University. Earning his MBA at Harvard Business School, he took a position as Consultant with Bain & Company in Boston, focusing on the healthcare & pharmaceutical, and consumer product sectors. This position led to Senior Manager responsibilities, with a particular emphasis on M&A transactions and  interactive marketing. Durring this time, he earned recognition as one of Boston Business Journal’s “Top 40 Under 40” executives.

From 2001 to 2008, Torrence Boone engaged with the digital and direct marketing agency Digitas in executive capacities, ultimately accepting a position as President. He was subsequently recruited by the advertising WPP to serve as CEO of the startup venture Enfatico. This globally focused firm sought to integrate the diverse media, advertising, and marketing needs of Dell Inc. under a single roof.

George Cadbury’s Extraordinary Legacy

George Cadbury is the third son of Cadbury chocolate company founder John Cadbury. Along with Richard, his brother, George became responsible for the family’s business in 1861. The business grew and in 1878, George was able to purchase an open land (measuring about 14 acres) where he built a new factory in 1879.

As a Quaker, George built a Quaker study center in the early years of the 20^th century. To this day, this study center remains the only such study in Europe. The center offers short courses for social and spiritual issues to Quakers.

George and Richard showed much concern for their employees’ quality of life. They provided an alternative way of life in the city for them. The Cadburys decided to acquire new lands and move the factory to a new location. They  built a factory town which was known later as Bournville. Bournville had affordable houses, allowing the poor families to experience urban living.

The Cadburys loved their employees. They believed that their workers have social rights so they built sports grounds and canteens for them. When Richard died, George continued to manage the business. George established committees that would discuss proposals to improve the company. Among his most recent projects was the education facility for his employees.

Tina Brown: Power to Revitalize Dying Magazines

Tina Brown is a popular journalist and author. She earned her master’s degree at St. Anne’s College. She started her career in journalism in 1973 when she started writing for The Sunday Telegraph, The New Statesman, and the London Sunday Time. That year, Brown was the recipient of the Catherine Pakenham Award for the Most Promising Female Journalist of the Year.

Brown became a reputable editor when, in 1979, she became an editor-in-chief at 25 years old. At that time, the 270-year old Tatler magazine was almost defunct. Brown revitalized this “society” magazine. The circulation of Tatler increased by 300% during her time, until she exited in 1983. Condé Nast acquired the magazine in 1982.

In 1983, Brown was invited by Condé Nast chairman S.I. Newhouse to transfer to the US to be the editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair. During her time with Vanity Fair (1984 to 1992), the magazine circulation increased from 350,000 to over 1 million. For four times, the magazine was voted in the National Magazine awards plus the General Excellence award which the magazine received in 1989. Advertising Age also awarded Brown with the Magazine Editor of the Year in 1989.

Another offer came from Newhouse in 1992 to take on another big challenge – to revitalize the dying The New Yorker magazine. She accepted the challenge and became the magazine’s fourth editor and the first editor in 73 years. During her time, The New Yorker’s circulation increased by 145% in the newsstands.

Among the award giving bodies that granted The New Yorker with awards are the George Polk awards (four times), Overseas Press Club awards (five times), 10 National Magazine awards (once). In 1992, Brown also received the National Press Foundation’s Editor of the Year.

After her stint in The New Yorker, Brown partnered with Harvey and Bob Weinstein to form the Talk Media in 1998. The newfound partnership launched the Talk magazine. They also launched the Talk Miramax Books.

Queen Elizabeth awarded Brown with the Commander of the British Empire in November 2000 to recognize her contributions to overseas journalism.

John H. Bryan Jr.: A Successful Mississippian

John H. Bryan Jr. became popular in the business world as the CEO of Sara Lee Corporation. He is also a member of the board of Goldman Sachs, Amoco, General Motors Company, and Bank One Corporation. Bryan is considered as arguably one of the most successful natives of Mississippi.

Bryan was born in West Point, Mississippi on October 5, 1936. He earned his Bachelor of Arts and Economics degree at Rhodes Colleges. He worked at his family’s business when he was 24. His family’s business grew and at 32, he became the first president of Bryan Foods.

The Fortune 500 company Consolidated Foods acquired Bryan Brothers Packing in 1968. Bryan rose to the ranks and a board member in 1974. When Consolidated Foods was changed to Sara Lee Corporation in 1975, Bryan became the CEO. He was the chairman of the board in 1976 and held the position until 2001.

Bryan had many other successes and awards through the years. He was one of the most accomplished Mississippians and he received all his awards while helping communities live better.