Henry J. Kaiser

Known as “The Father* of modern American shipbuilding, Kaiser’s bold innovation and entrepreneurship helped make Oakland a world-class city. He was a vastly creative entrepreneur, founding the first company to manufacture steel on the West Coast, heading up massive construction projects such as the Hoover dam, and developing innovative industrial designs from hospital amenities to auto, ship, and aircraft models. Kaiser held the unique capacity to reconcile business with social responsibility. He was concerned with worker’s rights, immigration, pensions, and housing. His compassion led him to build what has become America’s largest non-profit healthcare organization today, Kaiser Permanente, with the mission of providing quality healthcare to all.