Andrew Viterbi

Famous for the "Viterbi algorithm," which changed the way people connect and communicate, the wireless communications pioneer made big gifts to the Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology and the Viterbi Family Vision Research Center. Both were a way to honor his father, Achille Viterbi, who moved the family to the United States after fleeing Fascist Italy in 1939. Among his smaller donations last year were contributions to his high-school alma mater, Boston Latin School; the Old Globe, a San Diego theater; Washington Institute for Near East Policy; and other nonprofits.