George Westinghouse

George Westinghouse, Jr (6 October 1846–12 March 1914) was an American entrepreneur and engineer who invented the railroad air brake and was a pioneer of the electrical industry. He is now best known for the brand of electrical goods that bear his name. Westinghouse was one of Thomas Edison's main rivals in the early implementation of the American electricity system. Westinghouse' system using alternating current ultimately prevailed over Edison's insistence on direct current. In 1911, he received the AIEE's Edison Medal 'For meritorious achievement in connection with the development of the alternating current system for light and power.'