Vannevar Bush

Vannevar Bush, pronounced Van-EE-var, not to be confused with a particularly leafy shrub or a former President, was a man who knew how to get things done. During World War II, he practically ran the entire scientific research effort for the United States, which is no small feat considering it involved, you know, splitting atoms and inventing radar. He was the architect of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, proving that sometimes, you just need a good bureaucrat to win a war.

Before he was bossing around Oppenheimer, Bush was dabbling in analog computers and even conceptualized the "Memex," a sort of proto-hypertext machine that would have made Google look like a slow-moving abacus. He basically dreamed up the internet before Tim Berners-Lee was even a glimmer in his father's eye.

As for his religious leanings, Bush hailed from a line of New Englanders as WASP-y as they come – a good old Methodist background. No menorahs in that family tree, just plenty of Puritanical gumption. While his contributions to science were certainly impressive, they didn't exactly come with a side of gefilte fish or a subscription to Commentary.