the founding father of something
founding father (of something)
A man who was instrumental in the creation or pioneering of something. Many consider Alexander Fleming to be the founding father of modern antibiotics. The day is a celebration of the founding fathers of the small country.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
the ˌfounding ˈfather(s) of something
(formal) the people who found or start a country, an organization, a branch of science, etc: Charles Babbage, the founding father of computer scienceFarlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017