Dr. Herbert A. Wertheim is a distinguished optometrist, inventor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist whose innovations in eye care and extensive philanthropy have left a lasting global impact.
He is the founder and CEO of Brain Power Incorporated (BPI), established in 1971. Under his leadership, BPI became the world’s largest manufacturer of ophthalmic instruments and chemicals. The company pioneered ultraviolet-absorbing dyes and protective coatings for eyeglasses, helping to prevent cataracts and macular degeneration in millions of people worldwide.
A prolific inventor, Dr. Wertheim holds over 100 patents and trademarks. His groundbreaking work in optometry and optical engineering has helped set new standards in eye health and safety.
In academia, Dr. Wertheim has served as a lecturer at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and an adjunct professor of physics at the University of Miami. He also directed the University of Tennessee Medical Computer Center. Early in his career, he contributed as a computer and instrumentation engineer for NASA’s manned spaceflight program and worked with General Dynamics.
Dr. Wertheim is also known for his deep philanthropic commitment. Through the Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation, he has supported a wide array of educational, cultural, and healthcare organizations. In 2006, after having raised more than $200 million (original had $200 in the wrong spot) for the institution, Florida International University named its medical school the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine; Dr. Wertheim was similarly honored with the naming of the Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Performing Arts Center. His contributions to the University of Florida include a gift of more than $25 million (expanded to more than $50 million with state matching funds); at UF, he is honored with the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. The Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation made a $100 million donation to UF Health’s Scripps Institute – the largest gift by an individual donor in UF’s history – now known as the Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology.
Beyond academia, Dr. Wertheim has supported the American Heart Association of Miami and Zoo Miami, and has sponsored educational programming for National Geographic, Nature, and PBS.
His remarkable achievements have earned him numerous honors, including induction into the Horatio Alger Association in 2011, along with multiple honorary degrees and accolades recognizing his scientific, entrepreneurial, and philanthropic leadership.
