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Marquis Who's Who Names Top 10 Most Influential Americans of the Century

12 October 1999

Marquis Who's Who Names Top 10 Most Influential Americans of the Century

    NEW PROVIDENCE, N.J.--Oct. 12, 1999--Marquis Who's Who(R), the company that for 100 years has chronicled leaders and innovators in its annual Who's Who in America(R) biographical directory, has named its Top 10 Most Influential Americans of the Century.
    According to the results of a survey conducted among the Marquis Who's Who editorial staff and board of advisors, the top 10 individuals are (in alphabetical order):

--        Walt Disney

--        Thomas Edison

--        Henry Ford

--        Bill Gates

--        Steve Jobs

--        Martin Luther King Jr.

--        Jackie Robinson

--        Franklin D. Roosevelt

--        James Watson (partnered with Briton Francis Crick
                        on discovery of importance of DNA)

--        The Wright Brothers

    "With the millennium fast approaching, and Marquis Who's Who in America celebrating its 100th anniversary, we thought it would be intriguing to conduct our own survey to determine the most influential Americans of the 20th century," said Randy Mysel, vice president and publisher of Marquis Who's Who.
    "Obviously, selecting the top 10 most influential people of our time is difficult and subjective because there are so many men and women who have greatly influenced our lives over the past 100 years.
    "However, since the Marquis Who's Who editorial staff and board of advisors deal with the challenge of selecting outstanding individuals every year for inclusion in Who's Who in America, we thought we could produce an interesting and provocative list," said Mysel.
    Mysel explained that the Marquis Who's Who list of the top 10 most influential Americans of the century was determined by polling the 20 members of the Marquis Who's Who board of advisors and 25 members of the company's editorial department.
    The original and leading American biographical directory, Who's Who in America has profiled highly accomplished people from all walks of life -- including politics, business, medicine, law, academia and entertainment. Journalists, researchers, librarians, business executives and others who need to access vital information on notable Americans use the publication.
    "From its beginning in 1899, Who's Who in America has profiled people who have made names for themselves, instead of being known because of wealth or family lineage. In essence, Who's Who in America embodies the American spirit of independence and ideals of hard work," said Mysel.
    Published every two years until 1993 when it became an annual edition, Marquis Who's Who in America provides a fascinating overview of our American history through the people who helped shape it.
    Available in November 1999, the Who's Who in America Millennium Edition (54th edition) profiles more than 115,000 men and women of distinction in business and finance, government, education, science and technology, the arts and other significant fields of endeavor.
    Marquis also publishes many other Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in the World(R), Who Was Who in America(R), Who's Who in Finance and Industry(R), Who's Who in American Law(R), Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare(R), Who's Who in Science and Engineering(R), and Who's Who of American Women(R).