Originally designed in the early 1950s, a small number of tubes were built in 1958 for military use in a collaboration with Kaiser Industries.

In 1977, Kaiser Industries decided to split itself up.

Mr. Trefethen's career as an executive with Kaiser Industries paralleled the company's growth from a minor construction concern into a worldwide mining and industrial enterprise.

Over four decades, he rose through various executive jobs, eventually becoming president of Kaiser Industries, the holding company for Kaiser's many industrial operations.

The Foundation is no longer affiliated with Kaiser Permanente or Kaiser Industries.

Mr. Kaiser's children got very little directly but had the authority to run the Kaiser Industries businesses and the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Family members did not retain seats on the board of Kaiser Industries, but have remained active with the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Major contributions were made by Wells Fargo and Eugene Trefethen, an executive with Kaiser Industries.

Willys Motors, since 1953 a division of Kaiser Industries, had the market for light-duty four-wheel-drive vehicles nearly all to itself for years.

(AMC then purchased the Jeep brand from Kaiser Industries in 1970.)