Alfred E. Mann (1925 – February 25, 2016), also known as Al Mann, was an American
physicist
A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe.
Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...
,
inventor,
entrepreneur
Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values t ...
, and
philanthropist.
Early life and education
Mann was born and raised to a Jewish family in
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...
. His father was a grocer who emigrated from England; his mother a pianist and singer who immigrated from
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
.
Business
In 1956, Mann founded
Spectrolab
Spectrolab is a manufacturer of space solar cells and panels headquartered in Sylmar, California. It is a subsidiary of The Boeing Company, and part of Boeing Defense, Space & Security. Spectrolab was founded in 1956 by Alfred E. Mann, a billion ...
, the first of his
aerospace
Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astr ...
companies. While at Spectrolab, an electro optical systems company, he also founded
Heliotek, a
semiconductor
A semiconductor is a material which has an electrical conductivity value falling between that of a conductor, such as copper, and an insulator, such as glass. Its resistivity falls as its temperature rises; metals behave in the opposite way. ...
company, that became a major supplier of
solar cell
A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, is an electronic device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect, which is a physical and chemical phenomenon. s for
spacecraft
A spacecraft is a vehicle or machine designed to fly in outer space. A type of artificial satellite, spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, Earth observation, meteorology, navigation, space colonization, p ...
. Among other accomplishments during his tenure, Mann's companies provided the electric power for over 100 spacecraft and constructed one of the lunar experiments. Although he sold both companies to
Textron
Textron Inc. is an American industrial conglomerate based in Providence, Rhode Island. Textron's subsidiaries include Arctic Cat, Bell Textron, Textron Aviation (which itself includes the Beechcraft, and Cessna brands), and Lycoming Engin ...
in 1960 (merged into one, Spectrolab is now a subsidiary of
Boeing Satellite Systems
The Boeing Satellite Development Center is a major business unit of Boeing Defense, Space & Security. It brought together Boeing satellite operations with that of GM Hughes Electronics' Space and Communications division in El Segundo, Calif ...
), he continued to manage them until 1972. After he left those companies to found
Pacesetter Systems, which focused on cardiac pacemakers, he sold that company in 1985 and managed it until 1992. It is now a part of
St. Jude Medical. Mann then went on to establish
MiniMed (
insulin pump
An insulin pump is a medical device used for the administration of insulin in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, also known as continuous subcutaneous insulin therapy.
The device configuration may vary depending on design. A traditional pump ...
s and continuous glucose devices, now owned by
Medtronic) and Advanced Bionics (
neuroprosthetics
Neuroprosthetics (also called neural prosthetics) is a discipline related to neuroscience and biomedical engineering concerned with developing neural prostheses. They are sometimes contrasted with a brain–computer interface, which connects the ...
, now focused on
cochlear implant
A cochlear implant (CI) is a surgically implanted neuroprosthesis that provides a person who has moderate-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss with sound perception. With the help of therapy, cochlear implants may allow for improved speech unde ...
s and owned by
Sonova
Sonova Holding AG (Phonak Holding AG before 1 August 2007) is an internationally active Swiss group of companies headquartered in Stäfa that specializes in hearing care ( hearing instruments, cochlear implants, wireless communication). The Sono ...
, while its pain management and other neural stimulation products are now owned by
Boston Scientific
Boston Scientific Corporation ("BSC"), incorporated in Delaware, is a biomedical/biotechnology engineering firm and multinational manufacturer of medical devices used in interventional medical specialties, including interventional radiology, i ...
).
At the time of his death, Mann was involved in several companies, including:
*founder and chairman of
Second Sight Medical Products
Argus retinal prosthesis, also known as a bionic eye, is an electronic retinal implant manufactured by the American company Second Sight Medical Products. It is used as a visual prosthesis to improve the vision of people with severe cases of re ...
, a biomedical company which produces the
Argus retinal prosthesis
Argus retinal prosthesis, also known as a bionic eye, is an electronic retinal implant manufactured by the American company Second Sight Medical Products. It is used as a visual prosthesis to improve the vision of people with severe cases of re ...
;
*founder and chairman of
Bioness, a company devoted to applying
electrostimulation for functional neural defects such as paralysis;
*founder and chairman of the Board of
Quallion, LLC, a company producing high reliability
batteries for medical products and for the military and aerospace industries;
*Chairman of Stellar Microelectronics, an electronic circuit manufacturer for the medical, military and aerospace industries;
* Mann also chaired the
Southern California Biomedical Council (SCBC or SoCalBio), the trade association that has represented and promoted the growth of biotech, medtech and digital health industries in the Greater Los Angeles region.
In June 2014, the US
Food and Drug Administration
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respon ...
approved
MannKind Corporation's application for
a unique inhalable insulin (Afrezza) for the treatment of
diabetes
Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...
. Mannkind subsequently licensed the device to a French pharmaceutical company,
Sanofi
Sanofi S.A. is a French multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company headquartered in Paris, France. Originally, the corporation was established in 1973 and merged with Synthélabo in 1999 to form Sanofi-Synthélabo. In 2004, Sanofi-Syn ...
, for US$925 million. Mann was
chairman of the board of MannKind Corporation, a
biomedical company, where he also served as
chief executive officer
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especial ...
until January 12, 2015. In November 2015, Hakan Edstrom stepped down as CEO and president and will remain until July, 2017 to provide other services for the company. Mann again stepped in as interim CEO.
Mann also served on the board of directors and was the largest investor in
Eclipse Aviation
The Eclipse Aviation Corporation was the Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States-based manufacturer of the Eclipse 500 very light jet (VLJ), and also at one time proposed developing the Eclipse 400 single-engined jet.
The company was founded ...
Mann was one of the main investors in the development of
Mulholland Estates
Mulholland Estates is a guard gated community in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California, US. Although properties in the estate have a 90210 ZIP code and thus a Beverly Hills address, it is actually part of the Beverly Hills Post Offi ...
, a gated community in Los Angeles.
Philanthropy
Mann established Alfred E. Mann Institutes for
Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical engineering (BME) or medical engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology for healthcare purposes (e.g., diagnostic or therapeutic). BME is also traditionally logical sciences ...
at the
University of Southern California
, mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it"
, religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist
, established =
, accreditation = WSCUC
, type = Private research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $8.1 ...
(USC), known as AMI/USC ($162 million); at
Purdue University
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and mone ...
known as AMI/Purdue ($100 million); and at the
Technion known as AMIT ($104 million) are
business incubators
Business incubator is an organization that helps startup companies and individual entrepreneurs to develop their businesses by providing a fullscale range of services starting with management training and office space and ending with venture ca ...
for
medical device
A medical device is any device intended to be used for medical purposes. Significant potential for hazards are inherent when using a device for medical purposes and thus medical devices must be proved safe and effective with reasonable assura ...
development in preparation for
commercialization
Commercialization or commercialisation is the process of introducing a new product or production method into commerce—making it available on the market. The term often connotes especially entry into the mass market (as opposed to entry into ...
. The Institutes are essentially fully funded. Three other universities were in late stage discussions as of 2006. AMI was founded in 1998 when Alfred Mann made his first $100 million gift to USC, a major private
research university
A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are the most important sites at which knowledge production occurs, along with "intergenerational kn ...
in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
. The total gifted
endowment for AMI/USC is $162 million since then.
The Alfred Mann Foundation for Biomedical Engineering is charged with selecting, establishing and overseeing the institutes, similar to AMI at USC and at other research universities.
Mann was a Life
Trustee
Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility to ...
of the University of Southern California.
Founded in 1985, the Alfred Mann Foundation has several core aims. It aims to work with scientists and research organizations to find
bionic
Bionics or biologically inspired engineering is the application of biological methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology.
The word ''bionic'', coined by Jack E. Steele in August 1 ...
solutions for people suffering from debilitating medical impairments.
As an alumnus of
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...
, he tried to make a substantial monetary gift to his alma mater to fund a bioengineering institute. However, the donation failed over Mann's desire to retain control over patents and patent revenues generated by the institute. The $162 million gift eventually went to USC, a private institution that agreed to his terms.
On March 16, 2007, Purdue University received a $100 million endowment from the Mann Foundation for Biomedical Engineering. The endowment was the largest research gift ever at the university and created the Alfred Mann Institute at Purdue. However, AMI Purdue was closed and the unspent portion of the $100 million endowment from the MANN Foundation was rescinded in early 2012.
Personal life
Mann has been married four times and has seven children.
His first wife was Beverly Mann.
They divorced in 1957
and had three sons together: Brian Mann, Howard Mann and Richard Mann. His second wife was Linda Mann.
They divorced in 1973
after 6 years of marriage
and had three children together: Carla Mann Woods, Alfred Mann Jr. and Kevin Mann. His third wife was Susan Kendall;
they divorced in 1997.
In 2004, he married his fourth wife, Claude Mann. He adopted her daughter, Cassandra, from a previous marriage.
His wife, Claude, was born in a
concentration camp
Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simpl ...
during World War II. Her father, a diplomat - who was active in the
French Resistance
The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...
- had been imprisoned for hiding Jews from Nazi soldiers. Her mother who spoke several languages and was a translator for the German Government fell in love with Claude's father and helped him escape with their baby back to France.
Alfred E. Mann Foundation for Biomedical Engineering: "Alfred Mann Institute For Biomedical Development at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology (AMIT) Opens Doors of the $100 Million Institute"July 18, 2007 , ''The motivation behind opening an institute within Israel came from Mann's wife, Claude Mann. Claude, who is not Jewish, will always hold a strong connection with the Jewish people.''
Mann died on February 25, 2016, of natural causes in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
,
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...
at the age of 90.
Son Brian was an employee at Pacesetter Systems and daughter Carla was an employee at Advanced Bionics.
Recognition
*2000, Golden Plate Award of the
American Academy of Achievement
The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet ...
*2003, Business Journal's Los Angeles Business Person of the Year
*2011, MDEA Lifetime Achievement Award
References
External links
Alfred E. Mann Foundation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mann, Alfred
1925 births
2016 deaths
American billionaires
Jewish American philanthropists
American manufacturing businesspeople
Philanthropists from Oregon
Giving Pledgers
21st-century philanthropists
Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering
American people of English-Jewish descent
American people of Polish-Jewish descent
American company founders
20th-century American businesspeople
21st-century American businesspeople
University of California, Los Angeles alumni
Businesspeople from Portland, Oregon
20th-century American philanthropists
21st-century American Jews
Inventors from Oregon