Fathers or mothers of a field are men and women who were significant figures in creating or innovating in field.

For example Alan Turing is the father of computer science, Ada Lovelace is the mother of computer programming, Adam Smith is the father of economics, and Frank Zappa is the father of the Mothers of Invention (joke).

See an awesome list from Wikipedia, or see our collection of fathers and mothers below.

The Birth of Modern Banking

The Birth of Banking

Modern banking originated in Italy around 1150 as Jews fleeing persecution brought new practices, including “discounting”, to the merchant banks of the Italian piazzas.