Description: (Founder of the 'Marriott International, Inc')
J. Willard Marriott Sr. was an American entrepreneur who founded the Marriott Corporation, later known as Marriott International. He started with a root beer stand in 1927 and expanded into a chain of family restaurants. In 1957, he entered the hospitality industry by opening the first motel. At the time of his passing in 1985, Marriott's empire included 1,400 restaurants, 143 hotels and resorts worldwide, two theme parks, a line of cruise ships, and an annual revenue of US$4.5 billion with 154,600 employees.