Whiskey Founders

Many of the names below will be found on your favorite bourbon label or whiskey bottle even today. This page is dedicated to the men or women who spent their entire lives working in or improving on the Bourbon or Whiskey industry in North America. In order to have made this list, the person must have had some significant impact on either their Company, their Distillery or the Industry as a whole.

For a Comprehensive List of every person featured in the Whiskey Founders Section simply scroll down this page. This list is placed in order by Distillery size and then by Region.

For a list of the members of the Whiskey Founders Committee the contributors to this section of the Whiskey University website see the bottom of this page. Colonel Craig Duncan, President and Daniel Snyder, Chairman

Jim Beam Founders

The Beam family has been producing whiskey since 1795 although it was interrupted by Prohibition. Eight generations and direct line descendants of founder Jacob Beam have been involved in whiskey production for the company that makes Jim Beam. The eight generations and many branches off of the main Beam tree have earned the reputation as "America's First Family of Bourbon."

1.) Jacob Beam

2.) Colonel James B.”Jim” Beam

3.) Booker Noe

4.) Basil Hayden

5.) Dr. James Crow

6.) David Beam

7.) David M. Beam

8.) Fred Noe

9.) Park Beam

10.) T. Jeremiah Beam

11.) Carl Beam

12.) Baker Beam

13.) Peggy Noe Stevens

14.) Matthew J. Shattock

15.) Freddie “Little Book” Noe

16.) Abraham Overholt

17.) Kathleen DiBenedetto

18.) Jerry Summers

Heaven Hill Founders

Heaven Hill Brands is an American family-owned and operated distillery company headquartered in the Bourbon Capital of the world, Bardstown, Kentucky.  It is the second-largest bourbon distiller with the second largest inventory in the world. This Founders page takes a deep look into Heaven Hill's two most influential families; the Shapiras and the Beams. The five Shapira brothers and their decedents have run the business side of things so successful that the name Heaven Hill is recognized and consumed all over the world. The Beam family ran the distilling or whiskey production side of Heaven Hill.

1.) Parker Beam

2.) Reverend Elijah Craig

3.) The Shapira Brothers

4.) Evan Williams

5.) Joseph L. Beam

6.) Max Shapira

7.) Earl Beam

8.) Harry Shapira

9.) Henry McKenna

10.) John E. Fitzgerald

11.) I. W. Bernheim

12.) Kate & Allen Latts

13.) Craig Beam

14.) Larry Kass

15.) David Hobbs

16.) Denny Potter

17.) Bernie Lubbers

18.) Conor O’Driscoll

Buffalo Trace Founders

The Buffalo Trace Distillery distillery is located on the Kentucky River in Frankfort, Kentucky in what was formerly Bourbon County (now Franklin County). It has been well known in the past under several other names like the George T. Stagg Distillery or the O.F.C. (Old Fire & Copper) Distillery. The distillery makes the largest number of whiskies in the world spanning some 98 different labels, brands or variations. Unlike other distilleries the Founders from Buffalo Trace all hail from different families and not the same clan or two.

1.) Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr.

2.) George T. Stagg

3.) Colonel Albert Bacon Blanton

4.) Elmer T. Lee

5.) Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle

6.) William Larue Weller

7.) Orville Schupp

8.) Harlen Wheatley

9.) Freddie Johnson

10.) Julian P. Van Winkle, III

11.) Ronnie Eddins

12.) Gary Gayheart

13.) Leonard Riddle

Brown-Forman Founders

The Brown-Forman Corporation, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky may be the fourth largest Bourbon Distiller in the world but it is by far the largest Whiskey, wine and distilled spirit maker in North America. In fact, the company produces over 62 brands, labels and variations of Bourbon and North American whiskey. Some of the name brand lines that are produced by one of four distilleries include the world's best selling-whiskey Jack Daniels as well as Woodford Reserve, Old Forester, Early Times, Canadian Mist and Collingwood.

1.) George Garvin Brown

2.) J. T. S. Brown

3.) Dr. William Forester

4.) John Henry “Jack” Beam

5.) Owsley Brown,I

6.) Lincoln Henderson

7.) Chris Morris

8.) Owsley Brown, II

9.) Marianne Barnes Eaves

10.) Jackie Zykan

11.) William M. Street

12.) Elizabeth McCall

Jack Daniel’s Founders

1.) Jack Daniel

2.) Lem Motlow

3.) Frank “Frog” Bobo

4.) Nathen “Nearest” Green

5.) Jess Motlow

6.) Lemuel "Big Hide" Tolley

7.) Jimmy Bedford

8.) J. Reagor Motlow

9.) Jeff Arnett

10.) Chris Fletcher

11.) Jess Gamble

12.) Lexie Phillips

Maker’s Mark Founders

Maker's Mark is the fifth most popular a brand of bourbon whiskey in the world. The Maker's Mark Distillery is located in Loretto, Kentucky and produces 6 brands, labels and variations of Bourbon.  Maker's Mark is owned by Beam Suntory, Inc. Maker’s Mark dates back to 1958 but its history revolves around one family long, long before that. The Samuels family is indelibly weaved through out the brand’s very being.

1.) Bill Samuels, Sr.

2.) T. W. Samuels

3.) Margaret Samuels

4.) Bill Samuels, Jr.

5.) Steve Nally

6.) Dave Pickerell

7.) Leslie B. Samuels

8.) William L. Samuels

9.) Rob Samuels

10.) Donna Nally

11.) Greg Davis

12.) Denny Potter

Barton/1792 Founders

1.) Thomas S. Moore

2.) Oscar Getz

3.) Benjamin F. Mattingly

4.) Frank Thompson

5.) Danny Kahn

6.) William F. Friel