George Westinghouse

Westinghouse, George (1846–1914), U.S. engineer, inventor, and manufacturer. In 1869 he founded the Westinghouse Air Brake Company to develop the air brakes he had invented for railroad use. From 1883 he did pioneering work on the safe transmission of natural gas. He also pioneered the use of high-voltage AC electricity and in 1886 founded the Westinghouse Electric Company to develop AC induction motors and transmission equipment. The company was largely responsible for the acceptance of AC in preference to DC for most applications, in spite of opposition from the influential Thomas Edison.

See also: Brake.