These investors were Walter S. Johnson and his brother-in-law Charles T. Gruenhagen (1885–1968), both executives with the American Forest Products Corporation, together with their associates, J.
[4] Carl Friden already had a number of patents to his credit, including an early calculating machine.
They lived together in Pleasanton, California at their ranch Calmita Acres where they entertained celebrities including Jack London, Ernest Lawrence, Robert Oppenheimer as well as various Scandinavian dignitaries.
Carl Friden was the first president of the Swedish Club of San Francisco and was instrumental in founding the Department of Scandinavian at the University of California, Berkeley.
The Order of Vasa was conferred upon Carl Friden by King Gustaf V of Sweden in April 1945 in recognition of his distinguished achievements.
He has been described as one of the Bay Area's most prominent Swedish-Americans and is discussed in Muriel Beroza's book Golden Gate Swedes.