Lewis E. Phillips was born in Kaunas, Lithuania, on December 24, 1899. He grew up in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, after he and his family moved there in 1901. He began working in the newspaper business at the age of 12 and entered into the distribution business in 1918 with his brother Jay and his father Edward, who had established Ed Phillips & Sons Company on April 13, 1912. Lewis settled in town after Ed Phillips & Sons opened a branch selling cigars, newspapers, tobacco and candy in Eau Claire in 1923. After prohibition ended in 1933, the company began distributing liquor while Jay Phillips acted as President of the company and Lewis as executive secretary. In 1942, Lewis and Jay bought into the National Pressure Cooker Company and Lewis became its president. The company would change its name to National Presto Industries, Inc. in 1953.

Under Lewis Phillips’ Presidency during World War II, the National Pressure Cooker Company converted to wartime production, giving women work while the men served overseas. Phillips also made the decision to begin advertising the pressure cookers during wartime years in magazines, creating a large post-war demand for the company’s products. Post World War II, L.E. Phillips used his position to donate money to organizations through the L. E. Phillips Family Foundation. Over the years, funds have been given to many organizations in Eau Claire, including the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the Boy Scouts of America, Luther Hospital, and Mount Sinai Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Through his many donations, L.E. Phillips became Chairman of the Board of Luther Hospital in 1960.

L.E. Phillips passed away in 1978. Today, he is recognized for his leadership and philanthropic activities. He was a strong advocate for international boy scouts, and several buildings throughout Eau Claire are named in his honor. These buildings include the L.E. Phillips Science Hall on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire; the L. E. Phillips YMCA Indoor Sports Center; the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library; the L. E. Phillips Senior Center; and Camp Phillips, the Boy Scout Camp in Haugen, WI, to name only a few.

Melvin Cohen was born Jan. 16, 1918, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He began his career in law by working as an attorney for the Office of Price Administration. He began working for Presto Industries, Inc. in 1944. Cohen climbed the corporate ladder, reaching the presidency in 1960 and chairman of the board in 1976. Cohen held this position until his retirement in 2002. As a philanthropist, he set up the Presto Foundation Scholarship Program for the children of Presto employees. Cohen also founded the Melvin S. Cohen Foundation. He was instrumental in funding many of the buildings in Eau Claire now named after L.E. Phillips. Melvin Cohen passed away in 2008.