Elwood P. Haynes

Elwood P. Haynes (October 14, 1857 – April 12, 1925) was an American inventor, metallurgist, automotive pioneer, entrepreneur, and industrialist. He invented the metal alloys stellite and martensitic stainless steel, and designed one of the first automobiles in the United States. His design is recognized to be the first that was viable for mass production and, with the Apperson brothers, he formed the first profitable company in the United States to commercially produce automobiles. Because of his many advances in the automotive industry, he is sometimes called the Father of the Automobile. After his death from complications arising from influenza, his Kokomo mansion was converted into the Elwood Haynes Museum and is open to the public where many of his original inventions and automobiles are on display.