Collection on M. Herbert Eisenhart

Martin Herbert Eisenhart (1884-1975) was born on September 16, 1884 to Charles Augustus and Emma (née Pfahler) Eisenhart. After graduating from Princeton University in 1905, Eisenhart earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1907. He found employment at the Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, NY, working in the chemical plant. After ten years at Eastman Kodak, he accepted a position as a production manager at Bausch & Lomb, a Rochester-based optical manufacturer. Eisenhart worked his way up the corporate later, eventually serving as president of the company from 1935-1950. He then served as Chairman of the Board of Directors from 1950-1954 and as an honorary Chairman from 1954-1956.

Throughout his career, Eisenhart remained involved in the Rochester community. He served on the board for various companies and organizations such as Taylor Instruments, the Rochester Savings Bank, Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation, Rochester Telephone Company, the Eastman Dental Dispensary, the Rochester Community Chest, and the Rochester Red Cross. Eisenhart was also a Chairman of the Board for the University of Rochester, a member of the Board of Managers for the Eastman School of Music, and served on the Board of Trustees for the Rochester Institute of Technology for over 50 years.

Eisenhart belonged to several professional societies such as the Optical Society of America, the Rochester Engineering Society, the Rochester Chemical Society, and the American Ordnance Association. He also was awarded with the Civic Medal in 1944 by the Rochester Museum and Science Center.

Eisenhart married Elsa M. Bausch, the granddaughter of Bausch & Lomb cofounder J. J. Bausch, on April 28, 1914. Together the couple had three children, one of whom was Richard H. Eisenhart, a former trustee of the Rochester Institute of Technology. M. Herbert Eisenhart died on January 7, 1975.