Alfred E. Mann facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alfred Mann
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Mann, December 2010
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| Born | 1925 |
| Died | February 25, 2016 (aged 90) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | B.A. and M.S. (UCLA) |
| Occupation | entrepreneur and philanthropist |
| Spouse(s) | Beverly Mann (divorced) Linda Mann (divorced) Susan Kendall Mann (divorced) Claude Mann (until death) |
| Children | 7 |
Alfred E. Mann (1925 – February 25, 2016), also known as Al Mann, was an American physicist, inventor, and entrepreneur. He was also a philanthropist, which means he gave a lot of money to help others.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Alfred Mann was born in 1925 in Portland, Oregon. He grew up in a Jewish family. His father was a grocer who came from England. His mother was a talented pianist and singer from Poland.
Amazing Business Ideas
Alfred Mann started many companies that created important new technologies. In 1956, he founded Spectrolab. This was his first company focused on aerospace technology. While working there, he also started Heliotek. This company made semiconductors.
Heliotek became a main supplier of solar cells for spacecraft. Mann's companies provided electricity for over 100 spacecraft. They even built experiments for the moon! He sold both companies in 1960. However, he kept managing them until 1972.
After that, Mann started Pacesetter Systems. This company made cardiac pacemakers, which help people's hearts beat regularly. He sold this company in 1985. It is now part of St. Jude Medical.
Mann then created MiniMed. This company developed insulin pumps and devices to check blood sugar levels. These help people with diabetes. MiniMed is now owned by Medtronic. He also founded Advanced Bionics. This company focused on neuroprosthetics, like cochlear implants that help people hear.
At the time of his death, Mann was still involved in several companies:
- Second Sight Medical Products: This company makes the Argus retinal prosthesis. This device helps some blind people see light and shapes.
- Bioness: This company uses electrical stimulation to help people with muscle weakness or paralysis.
- Quallion, LLC: This company makes very reliable batteries. These batteries are used in medical devices, military equipment, and spacecraft.
- Stellar Microelectronics: This company makes electronic parts for medical, military, and aerospace uses.
- Southern California Biomedical Council (SoCalBio): Mann was chairman of this group. It helps biotech and medical technology companies grow in the Los Angeles area.
In 2014, the US Food and Drug Administration approved a special inhalable insulin called Afrezza. Mann's company, MannKind Corporation, developed this unique medicine for diabetes. Mann was the chairman and CEO of MannKind Corporation for a time.
Helping Others Through Philanthropy
Alfred Mann was a generous philanthropist. He set up special institutes at universities. These are called the Alfred E. Mann Institutes for Biomedical Engineering.
These institutes are like special labs where scientists and engineers work together. Their goal is to invent new medical devices. They help turn new ideas into real products that can help people.
- At the University of Southern California (USC), he gave $162 million.
- At Purdue University, he gave $100 million.
- At the Technion in Israel, he gave $104 million.
These institutes act as "business incubators." This means they help new medical device ideas grow into successful products. The Alfred Mann Foundation for Biomedical Engineering helps choose and oversee these institutes.
Mann was also a Life Trustee at the University of Southern California. The Alfred Mann Foundation, started in 1985, works with scientists. They aim to find bionic solutions for people with serious medical problems.
Mann wanted to give a large gift to his old university, UCLA. He hoped to fund a bioengineering institute there. However, they could not agree on how to handle new inventions. So, his gift went to USC instead.
Personal Life
Alfred Mann was married four times and had seven children. His first wife was Beverly Mann. They had three sons: Brian, Howard, and Richard. His second wife was Linda Mann. They had three children: Carla, Alfred Jr., and Kevin. His third wife was Susan Kendall.
In 2004, he married his fourth wife, Claude Mann. He adopted her daughter, Cassandra. Claude's mother helped her father escape from a concentration camp during World War II. Her father was a diplomat who helped hide Jewish people.
Claude Mann's background inspired Alfred Mann to open an institute in Israel. He died on February 25, 2016, in Las Vegas, Nevada, at 90 years old. His son Brian worked at Pacesetter Systems, and his daughter Carla worked at Advanced Bionics.
Recognition
- 2000, Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement
- 2003, Business Journal's Los Angeles Business Person of the Year
- 2011, MDEA Lifetime Achievement Award
