founding father

British  

noun

1. (often capitals) a person who founds or establishes an important institution, esp a member of the US Constitutional Convention (1787)

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Example Sentences

Andrew Stanton, one of Pixar’s founding fathers, has made a career out of imagining different visions of life on Earth.

From The Wall Street Journal

A range of speakers endorsed the company, including the son-in-law of the late Chairman Mao, the founding father of the People's Republic of China - Mr Yu said.

From BBC

"Because men are pretty easily called godfathers or founding fathers."

From BBC

“It’s about the future of this republic. I think it’s about, you know, what the founding fathers lived and died for, this notion of the rule of law, and not the rule of Don.”

From Los Angeles Times

Mr. Persico declares Locke “one of liberalism’s founding fathers” for weaving all of these strands together—“the image of God, natural law, reason and rights”—in his political philosophy.

From The Wall Street Journal