George Eastman

Eastman is largely responsible for stimulating popular interest in photography through his inventions and through their mass production via the Eastman Kodak Company. Most notable among his inventions were a dry-plate process, roll film and a camera to use it, and color photography process. He built one of the country's first plants to mass-produce products and was a pioneer in offering profit-sharing to employees. His philanthropic endeavors amounted to approximately $100 million and beneficiaries included the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester, and MIT.