forefather
/ˈfɔːˌfɑːðə(r)/noun
(一般作one's forefathers)
1- a member of the past generations of one's family or people; an ancestor祖先, 祖宗, 前辈。
1.1
- a precursor of a particular movement先驱, 前人：
the forefathers of modern British socialism.
现代英国社会主义运动的先驱。