Gerald E. McGinnis

Gerald Edward McGinnis (March 17, 1934 – January 25, 2024) was an American inventor and businessman who founded Respironics, a medical device company which sold the first mass-produced CPAP machines.

Born in Ottawa, Illinois, McGinnis studied mechanical engineering and eventually became a researcher for Westinghouse Electric while working on his master's degree at the University of Pittsburgh. McGinnis then moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to gain his master's degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. McGinnis worked through the night tinkering to avoid disturbing his family and slept during daytime hours. While working at Lanz Medical Products, McGinnis also worked at Critical Care Department at the Presbyterian-University Hospital from 1971 to 1975, participating in programs which sought medical applications for technological devices. After five years of operation, McGinnis sold the company. McGinnis was an outspoken Republican; he strongly opposed capital gains taxes and believed tax cuts would help aid economic growth.

Later life and legacy In the early 2000s, Philips bought many medical device companies and offered to buy Respironics for $66 a share when its stock was worth $53. McGinnis and the Respironics board did not want to sell the company and declined an earlier takeover offer. He also sponsored an endowed chair of sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School.

On January 25, 2024, Gerald McGinnis died from complications of Parkinson's disease at age 89.

Awards Distinguished Alumnus Award, Grainger College of Engineering Engineering at Illinois Hall of Fame, Grainger College of Engineering, 2010 History Makers Award, Heinz History Center, 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award, Pittsburgh Venture Capital Association, 2016