Richard Samuel "R.S." Reynolds

Spouse: Julia Louise Parham
Children: Richard Samuel Reynolds, Jr., Julian Louis Reynolds, William Gray Reynolds, and David Parham Reynolds

Richard Samuel Reynolds left the University of Virginia in 1903 to join his uncle's tobacco company in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for $50 a month. Reynolds was in part responsible for the company's switch from the production of chewing to smoking tobacco and the launch of Camel cigarettes.

He met Julia Louise Parham of La Grange, Tennessee, in Bristol, Virginia, and they married on Dec. 21, 1904. 

Shortly after World War I, Reynolds founded the U.S. Foil Company in Louisville, Kentucky. Among the company's early partners were R.J. Reynolds and the British-American Tobacco Company. The company's original business was to roll tin and lead foil for cigarette packaging. Among other innovations, Reynolds devised a moisture-preserving tobacco tin.

Later the company switched to aluminum foil. In 1947, his company introduced Reynolds Wrap. Reynolds Metals was the second-largest aluminum company in the United States and the third-largest in the world. 

Julia Louise Reynolds established the Richard S. Reynolds Foundation shortly after her husband's death in 1955. The foundation was created to honor his accomplishments and continue the vision that R.S. and Louise shared for future generations.

Since its inception in 1955, the Richard S. Reynolds Foundation has provided over $63 million in grants to community and worldwide organizations, supporting a broad range of causes such as education, the arts, health, science, history, the environment, and those in need. From scientific research to educational initiatives, the foundation is devoted to building strong communities and creating a positive and enduring impact on the world around us.