I am fairly certain it was started by an Aussie who had escaped from Viscount with a few trade secrets, my father was one of his first employees, in the days when the boss had to swing a hammer as well so he could get the company going. Perhaps he sold to the yanks some time after that. My recall may be wrong though.
Problem is, Wikipedia can be edited and added to by any one, which means the content is checked by the knowledge base of the general public and therefore perhaps is not as accurate as it might be and the result is its not be as reliable as it should be.
Cheers
Gemmybob