Georges Doriot

Life & Legacy

Georges Frédéric Doriot (English: dor-EE-oh, French: [ʒɔʁʒ fʁedeʁik dɔʁjo]; 24 September 1899 – 2 June 1987) was a French-born American professor, military officer and venture capitalist.
Born in Paris, Doriot emigrated to the United States and joined Harvard Business School as a professor of industrial management. Over four decades his "Manufacturing" course trained thousands of students, many of whom became prominent business executives and venture investors.
During World War II, Doriot became a naturalized American citizen and served in the Quartermaster Corps, where he directed military procurement research covering technologies from synthetic rubber to rations. He was promoted to brigadier general and received the Distinguished Service Medal.
After the war, Doriot led American Research and Development Corporation (ARD) for twenty-five years. As president, he led the first venture capital firm to raise money from institutional investors rather than family wealth. He has been described as the "father of venture capital."
In 1957, Doriot was instrumental in founding INSEAD in his home country, France, and setting up its foundational values. INSEAD is now one of the world's leading business schools.