Showing 1 - 25 of 49 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…
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…
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…
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…
Dale Kleist
Fiberglass
An accidental discovery made by Dale Kleist was the crucial breakthrough needed for manufacturing insulation-quality glass fibers in commercial…
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…
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…
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…
Roy J. Plunkett
Teflon
Chemist Roy J. Plunkett discovered tetrafluoroethylene resin while researching refrigerants at DuPont. Known by its trade name Teflon®, Plunkett's…
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…
Esther Sans Takeuchi
Lithium/Silver Vanadium Oxide (Li/SVO) Battery Technology in Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs)
Energy storage expert Esther Takeuchi led efforts to invent and refine the lifesaving lithium/silver vanadium oxide (Li/SVO) battery technology,…
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-…
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…
James Murray Spangler
Portable Electric Vacuum Cleaner
James Spangler invented the first commercially successful portable electric vacuum cleaner, an invention that revolutionized household carpet…
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…
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-…
Michael J. Owens
Glass-Shaping Machine
Michael Owens played a major role in the history of glass product manufacturing with his automatic glass-blowing machine.
Born in Mason County, West…
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…
Garrett Morgan
The Gas Mask; Three-way Traffic Signal
Garrett Augustus Morgan produced a series of successful inventions in the beginning of the 20th Century.
Morgan's first well-known invention was the…
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…
James L. Fergason
Liquid Crystal Display
James Fergason held a series of patents that form the foundation of the multi-billion dollar LCD industry which has been rapidly growing since 1971.…
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…
Robert Widlar
Linear Integrated Circuits
Bob Widlar is considered the father of the analog monolithic integrated circuit. Called linear ICs, these tiny silicon chips process real-world…
Orville Wright
Airplane
Orville and Wilbur Wright, American inventors and aviation pioneers, achieved the first powered, sustained, and controlled flight of an airplane. The…
Floyd Smith
Modern Parachute
The first working modern parachute was developed by trapeze artist turned aviator Floyd Smith. He became interested in parachutes after having…