2. Muhammad Ali 1942-2016

Ali is regarded as “The Greatest” not just because of his boxing accomplishments. There are those with better records and arguably those with greater skills. He is known as the greatest both because he was the first to declare it himself and because he proved it OUTSIDE of the boxing ring. He could have lived a relatively sheltered adult life of great wealth and even more athletic success as a black man in 1970’s America. Most know about his boxing exploits, but many young people don’t understand or appreciate that he sacrificed several years of his athletic prime as a conscientious objector to the draft, standing on his principles and refusing to kill those who had done nothing wrong to him. Ali has given an example for all young people to follow, about a commitment to peace and personal integrity.

3. Franklin Delano Roosevelt

1882-1945

Not only is FDR a laudable figure for overcoming his medical/physical struggles to rise to political prominence, but he was the most successful president in US history. Not only did he secure The New Deal which significantly shaped out direction as a country, but his commitment to representing the PEOPLE made him hated by political elites and loved by the electorate, having won FOUR terms and requiring his opposing party to institute term limits in order to have a chance to get back in power. He is also a political model for doing whatever it takes to fight for a political agenda that serves the people, even when those policies are unpopular with the corrupt elite. That makes him antithetical to most modern politicians, and hopefully a blueprint for future politicians to get back to following.

Price is the only figure on my list, and I suspect on many people’s lists, who is still alive today. I place him here because I’m optimistic that we will one day look back and recognize him for the pioneer that he is. He is a leader in proving to a disgustingly profit-driven country that companies can succeed and THRIVE not by squeezing their customers for every penny and their workers for as much of their life forces as possible, but by treating his workers well. He gave up his millionaire status and took a 94% pay cut to give ALL workers in his company a minimum salary of $70,000. Media and other corporations called him insane and accused him of company suicide for doing this, only to see his company triple in size and value as the years went by. It’s unfortunate that we don’t yet have more than one CEO who’s flipped the corporate structure as Dan has, but if/when his methods gain traction and working class citizens benefit with lives of appropriate compensation for their time, we will have Price to thank for getting the ball rolling.

5. Nikola Tesla 1856-1943

It’s shameful that most high school graduates know little to nothing about Tesla, having only heard of his namesake from the modern tech company. Thomas Edison taking all of the credit and reaping all of the rewards for the work Tesla did for him is a historical misfiring that should be promptly corrected.