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Learn About Famous Inventors Who Have Changed the World

Browse List of Inductees
Browse List of Inductees
Showing 1 - 25 of 53 results

Willard H. Bennett

Radio Frequency Mass Spectrometer

Willard Harrison Bennett pioneered the field of plasma physics and invented the radio frequency mass spectrometer. Born in Findlay, Ohio, Bennett…
Inducted in: 1991
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 2,721,271
Died:
Military Service: U.S. Army

Francis P. Bundy

Diamond Synthesis

Francis Bundy, along with Tracy Hall, Robert Wentorf, and Herbert Strong, synthesized diamonds as part of Project Superpressure, as announced by the…
Inducted in: 2010
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 2,947,611
Died:

James Murray Spangler

Portable Electric Vacuum Cleaner

James Spangler invented the first commercially successful portable electric vacuum cleaner, an invention that revolutionized household carpet…
Inducted in: 2006
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 889,823
Died:

Charles Martin Hall

Manufacture of Aluminum

Charles Martin Hall discovered the electrolytic method of producing aluminum cheaply, bringing the metal into wide commercial use. As a young chemist…
Inducted in: 1976
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 400,665
Died:

Charles F. Brush

Arc Lamp for Street Lighting

Charles Brush perfected the system of electric arc lighting, making it practical for commercial use. He installed the first electric light system in…
Inducted in: 2006
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 203,411
Died:

M. Judah Folkman

Angiogenesis Inhibition

Physician and researcher Judah Folkman introduced the idea that tumors could not grow beyond a certain size without having new blood vessels to feed…
Inducted in: 2010
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 4,164,560
Died:
Military Service: U.S. Navy

Dale Kleist

Fiberglass

An accidental discovery made by Dale Kleist was the crucial breakthrough needed for manufacturing insulation-quality glass fibers in commercial…
Inducted in: 2006
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 2,121,802
Died:
Alfred Free headshot

Alfred H. Free

Glucose Detection for Diabetes

Alfred Free revolutionized urinalysis by devising a dip-and-read test, Clinistix®, for detecting glucose in urine. Working at Miles Laboratories, he…
Inducted in: 2000
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 2,848,308
Died:

Charles Franklin Kettering

Electrical Ignition System

Charles Franklin Kettering invented the first electrical ignition system and the self-starter for automobile engines and the first practical engine-…
Inducted in: 1980
Born:
U.S. Patent Nos.: 1,150,523, 1,171,055
Died:

Stanley Macomber

Open Web Joist

Stanley Macomber was born in Ida Grove, Iowa, receiving his early education locally and at Annapolis Naval Preparatory Academy. He received a B.S. in…
Inducted in: 2011
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 1,651,032
Died:

Roy J. Plunkett

Teflon

Chemist Roy J. Plunkett discovered tetrafluoroethylene resin while researching refrigerants at DuPont. Known by its trade name Teflon®, Plunkett's…
Inducted in: 1985
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 2,230,654
Died:
Granville Woods

Granville Woods

Railway Telegraphy

Granville Woods invented railroad telegraphy, allowing moving trains to communicate with rail stations and with each other using static electricity…
Inducted in: 2006
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 373,383
Died:

Ernest H. Volwiler

Pentothal / Anesthesia

Ernest H. Volwiler, working with Donalee Tabern at Abbott Laboratories, discovered the general anesthetic Pentothal which has since played an…
Inducted in: 1986
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 2,153,729
Died:

Harold McMaster

Tempered Glass

Harold McMaster achieved the centuries-old goal of producing high-quality strengthened, or tempered, glass. His invention is indispensable in modern…
Inducted in: 2008
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 3,994,711
Died:

Lewis Miller

Improvement in Mowing Machines

Holder of ninety-two patents, Lewis Miller's most significant invention was the Buckeye Mower and Reaper, the prototype for the modern mower. Miller…
Inducted in: 2006
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 15,160
Died:
Esther Sans Takeuchi

Esther Sans Takeuchi

Lithium/Silver Vanadium Oxide (Li/SVO) Battery Technology in Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs)

Energy storage expert Esther Sans Takeuchi led efforts to invent and refine the lithium/silver vanadium oxide (Li/SVO) battery technology used to…
Inducted in: 2011
Born:
U.S. Patent Nos.: 5,389,472, 6,221,534
James A. Parsons Jr.

James A. Parsons Jr.

Durimet 20 (Alloy 20) Stainless Steel Alloy

Metallurgist James A. Parsons Jr. invented Durimet 20, also known as Alloy 20, stainless steel alloy. Developed in the 1930s, this corrosion-…
Inducted in: 2023
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 2,185,987
Died:
Irwin M. Lachman

Irwin M. Lachman

Ceramic Substrate in Catalytic Converters

Working at Corning, Irwin Lachman co-invented the ceramic substrate found in virtually all catalytic converters. Catalytic converters provide cleaner…
Inducted in: 2002
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 3,885,977
Died:
Military Service: U.S. Air Force

Andrew Alford

Localizer Antenna System

Andrew Alford invented and developed antennas for radio navigation systems, including VOR and instrument landing systems featuring the "Alford Loop…
Inducted in: 1983
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 2,682,050
Died:

George R. Stibitz

Digital Computer

George R. Stibitz is recognized as the father of the modern digital computer. Born in York, Pennsylvania, Stibitz attended Moraine Park, an…
Inducted in: 1983
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 2,668,661
Died:

Paul Christian Lauterbur

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

By developing the use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to create images of organs, joints and other tissues in the human body, Paul Lauterbur…
Inducted in: 2007
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 5,081,992
Died:
Military Service: U.S. Army

Lester A. Pelton

Water Wheel
One of the fathers of hydroelectric power, Lester Pelton invented the first water wheel to take advantage of the kinetic energy of water rather than…
Inducted in: 2006
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 233,692
Died:
Wilbur Wright

Wilbur Wright

Airplane

Orville and Wilbur Wright, American inventors and aviation pioneers, achieved the first powered, sustained, and controlled flight of an airplane. The…
Inducted in: 1975
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 821,393
Died:
Virginia Holsinger

Virginia Holsinger

Dairy Product Innovations

Virginia Holsinger made healthier dairy products accessible worldwide. Her research on enzymes and digestion not only advanced the dairy industry but…
Inducted in: 2025
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 6,258,391
Died:
George Carruthers

George R. Carruthers

Far Ultraviolet Electrographic Camera

George Carruthers invented the far ultraviolet electrographic camera, or spectrograph, using ultraviolet light to make significant advances in…
Inducted in: 2003
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 3,478,216
Died: