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Henry J. Kaiser

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File:Henryjkaiseroverhawaiikai.jpg
Henry J. Kaiser perches above Hawai'i Kai in April 1963, his suburban development in Honolulu. Kaiser spent much of his later years developing the urban landscape of O'ahu.

Henry J. Kaiser (May 9, 1882 - August 24, 1967) was a major American industrialist who became known as the father of modern American shipbuilding. The concepts he developed for the mass production of commercial and military ships is still used today. As a real estate magnate, Kaiser was the founder of the Honolulu suburban community of Hawai'i Kai in Hawai'i and Panorama City near Los Angeles. He spent much of his later years in Honolulu and developed an obsession with perfecting its urban landscape. He founded the Kaiser Hawaiian Village Hotel, now one of the most famous Hilton resorts in the world. Elsewhere, Kaiser built civic centers, roads, schools. He is best known for constructing the Hoover Dam and Grand Coulee Dam. Kaiser is also noted for advancing medicine with the development and construction of several hospitals, medical centers and medical schools.