Henry J. Kaiser

Henry J. Kaiser (1882–1967) was an American industrialist and entrepreneur. He built major construction and manufacturing businesses and became widely known for the Kaiser Shipyards, which produced large numbers of cargo ships during World War II. Kaiser also helped pioneer large-scale, integrated health care: medical services organized for his workers during wartime evolved into Kaiser Permanente, a health care organization he helped found. Active across industries including construction, steel, aluminum, and automobiles, Kaiser was associated with projects such as Hoover Dam and the Grand Coulee Dam. His work helped shape mid-20th-century American industrial capacity and employer-based benefits.