Emerson McMillin was an American financier and banker. The head of the banking house of Emerson McMillin, McMillin won a commission through "gallant conduct under fire" fighting for the Union Army in the Civil War, before moving to the Ohio Valley to work in the iron works and steel industries. He founded American Light and Traction in 1900 and became president.

George Crocker was an American businessman and a member of the wealthy Crocker family. A member of Tuller & Co., he was also a director of several corporations, including Trust Company of America. He was second vice president of the Southern Pacific Railroad. In 1909, Crocker was valued between $10 million to $20 million. The 75-room, three-story Crocker Mansion was built in 1907 for Crocker in Mahwah, New Jersey, and is one of New Jersey's historical landmarks.