The Visionaries Who Built America

Contact: Kelly Craine, 254-297-9065
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WACO, Texas (June 29, 2026) – From Henry Ford's assembly line to Steve Jobs' smartphone, entrepreneurs have played a defining role in shaping the American story. Their innovations helped transform the United States into the world's largest economy, creating new industries, expanding opportunity and changing everyday life. 

Whether building the nation's railroads, revolutionizing manufacturing, connecting homes through electricity or putting powerful computers in people's pockets, generations of entrepreneurs have helped define what America produces, how it works and how it competes on the global stage.

As the U.S. commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026, what has separated successful entrepreneurs from the truly great ones over a quarter millennium?

That question inspired Blaine McCormick, Ph.D., associate professor of management at Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business, to launch a decades-long research project examining America's greatest entrepreneurs and business leaders. In the third installment of the study, McCormick and co-author Jonathan Bean surveyed 51 business historians, management scholars, economic historians and thought leaders to identify not only the nation's most influential business figures, but also the qualities that define entrepreneurial greatness. They shared their findings in a Wall Street Journal column as part of “USA250: The Story of the World’s Greatest Economy,” the WSJ’s yearlong series examining America’s first 250 years.

For the third consecutive survey, Henry Ford claimed the top spot, followed by John D. Rockefeller and Steve Jobs. Together, the top-ranked entrepreneurs represent leaders who transformed transportation, energy, technology, communications and retail – industries that helped shape modern American life. 

“Each day when I turn on my lights, drive my car, order a product or text my family, I stand amazed at the array of goods and services that have changed my life for the better,” McCormick said. “As we celebrate 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, I give thanks for not only our nation’s political leadership (throughout history) but also the array of business leaders and entrepreneurs who have impacted our daily lives in so many ways.”

A vision for the future

The study's most surprising finding came when researchers asked experts to rank the factors that matter most in determining greatness. The highest-rated quality was the "ability to imagine or envision the future," followed closely by the "impact of product or service in reordering American life." By contrast, "creating wealth for shareholders" ranked last.

At a time when entrepreneurship is often measured by stock prices and social media influence, McCormick’s research offers a different perspective. The entrepreneurs who left the greatest mark on American history were not necessarily those who accumulated the most wealth, but those who imagined a different future and created products, services and industries that transformed the way people lived. 

By examining the leaders who helped build America's economy, McCormick provides valuable insight into the qualities that continue to drive innovation, economic growth and quality of life today. The findings are especially relevant as a new generation of entrepreneurs seeks to address challenges ranging from healthcare and education to artificial intelligence and sustainability. 

“I look forward to running this survey a fourth time in 2031 and see what has changed,” McCormick said. “We are only five years past our most recent survey in 2021, and we have seen our first trillionaire and the AI industry emerge. Who knows what might emerge in the next five years?”

As McCormick and Bean’s survey shows, the lasting impact from the greatest entrepreneurs comes not just from profits, but from identifying unmet needs, imagining new possibilities and creating solutions that improve people's lives. The history of America's greatest entrepreneurs is more than a look at the past – it is a roadmap for the future.

ABOUT BLAINE MCCORMICK, PH.D.

Blaine McCormick is an award-winning management professor at Baylor University’s Hankamer School and a nationally recognized scholar on the business practices of Benjamin Franklin and the greatest entrepreneurs and businesspeople in American history. For many years, McCormick taught business acumen in the first-year business course to almost 500 students each semester, with his course named by Inc. magazine as one of the best entrepreneurship courses in the United States.

McCormick is interviewed frequently by national media outlets, including Forbes, TIME, public radio and ABC World News Tonight. He often travels to developing countries to teach business lessons to undereducated entrepreneurs using only a bottle of Coca-Cola as a teaching aid.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu.

ABOUT THE HANKAMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business strives to further God’s kingdom through the realm of business, using God-given gifts and academic talents to do so. Faculty and students conduct purposeful research and participate in experiential learning opportunities, all while operating in a Christ-centered mission. Undergraduate students can choose from 13 major areas of study. Graduate students can earn their MBA on their terms, either through the full-time, online or a Dallas-based executive program. The Business School also offers three Ph.D. programs in Information Systems, Entrepreneurship or Health Services Research. The School’s top-ranked programs make up approximately 25% of the University’s total enrollment. Visit the Hankamer School of Business website for more information.