Born in 1913, David Bushnell was a serial entrepreneur who had tried his hand at importing everything from to Belgian cement . His life changed in 1948 during a honeymoon trip to Japan.

A major performing arts center in Hartford, Connecticut, it was built by Dotha Bushnell Hillyer as a tribute to her father, Horace Bushnell, a renowned 19th-century theologian and scientist.

Often called the "father of the video game industry," he co-founded Atari and created the legendary game Pong . He also founded the family entertainment chain Chuck E. Cheese .