Alfred Kordelin was one of the most important Finnish businessmen of the early 20th century. The son of a Rauma seaman, Kordelin rose from humble beginnings to amass a large fortune.
Kordelin started out as a tradesman and ended as a versatile entrepreneur whose business operations extended from sawmills to shipping. Kordelin died 1917 in the so-called Mommila skirmish in the period of unrest preceding Finnish independence in 1917.
Kordelin bequeathed the greater part of his wealth to be used as capital for the establishment of the Alfred Kordelin Foundation. Since 1920, the Alfred Kordelin Foundation has continuously supported research, literature, the arts and non-formal learning in Finland through grants and prizes.