Amos Ives Root (1839–1923) was an Ohio entrepreneur who developed innovative techniques for beekeeping during the late 19th century, when the practice played an important role in the economy of many communities in the U.S.

His wide-ranging interests and curiosity led him to become the only eyewitness to publish articles about successful airplane flights made by the Wright brothers in Ohio in 1904–1905.

Root held strong Christian beliefs and wrote about his ideas and observations of contemporary society in a trade publication he started, Gleanings in Bee Culture.

In the late 1890s, Root's company started selling beekeeping equipment produced by competitor Dadant and Sons, Inc.

[5] Always eager to learn about new technology, Root took great interest in the Wright brothers after reading sketchy newspaper reports about their 1903 Kitty Hawk flights and experiments in early 1904 in Ohio.

His writing suggested the Wrights' invention would cause profound changes: ...these brothers have probably not even a faint glimpse of what their discovery is going to bring to the children of men.