2022 NIHF Induction Ceremony Recap

On May 4-5, 2022, some of the world’s greatest innovators gathered in Washington, D.C., to take part in the National Inventors Hall of Fame^® (NIHF) Induction Ceremony.

Hosted in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and our sponsors, the Greatest Celebration of American Innovation^® honored the 27 creators, innovators and entrepreneurs who make up the 2022 Class of NIHF Inductees.

Illumination Ceremony

The celebration began on May 4 as Inductees and their families participated in the Illumination Ceremony at the NIHF Museum in Alexandria, Virginia, placing their individual illuminated hexagons in the Gallery of Icons^™. This stunning exhibit features icons representing each of our more than 600 Inductees, arranged in chronological order by patent number to tell the ongoing story of American innovation in a uniquely visual way.

Our Hall of Famers also had the opportunity to explore the museum’s newest exhibits, including the 2022 Class of Inductees exhibit, which showcases each of their stories and features their artifacts and invention prototypes.

Induction Ceremony

On May 5, the Induction Ceremony welcomed the 2022 class alongside past Inductees, sponsors and intellectual property leaders at The Anthem, a spectacular venue in Washington, D.C.’s Southwest Waterfront neighborhood. The black-tie event was emceed by Danica McKellar, the New York Times bestselling author, math education advocate, current judge on Fox’s hit show “Domino Masters” and star of the iconic television classic “The Wonder Years.”

Throughout the evening, our speakers, including Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, emphasized how exciting it was to be able to celebrate the 2022 Induction in person, after the pandemic had prevented NIHF from holding an Induction Ceremony since 2019. Both McKellar and Vidal expressed gratitude for the many innovators whose work has helped us all to protect our health, overcome challenges and stay connected as we’ve navigated the pandemic.

The ceremony highlighted the inspiring stories of our new Inductees and their groundbreaking inventions in a wide range of fields including communication technology, health and medicine, agriculture and workplace safety. Medals were presented to our Inductees by Shirin Bidel-Niyat, Advisor to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property. For historical Inductees, awards were accepted by family members or representatives from the companies they founded or worked for.

For many of our Inductees, the Induction Ceremony is just the beginning of their active involvement with NIHF. 2017 Inductee Frances Ligler took to the stage to encourage members of the 2022 class to join her in supporting NIHF’s invention education programs, including Camp Invention^®. Each year, these nationwide programs shape the next generation of innovators and further honor our Inductees’ legacies.

The Induction gala closed with the Innovation Celebration, a chance for Inductees and their guests to further celebrate with sponsors, intellectual property leaders and fellow inventors who were in attendance.

We encourage you to learn more about our 2022 Class of Inductees by visiting our website.

Special Thanks

It is with the support of our partners that NIHF is able to honor world-changing inventors every year. Many thanks to our presenting partner, the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and all our generous 2022 sponsors, including Qualcomm, PhRMA, Walgreens Boots Alliance, AgroFresh, Bullard, Corning, Inc., Google, The Amos E. Joel Young Inventors Endowment, North Carolina State University, Red Point Digital and Sony for making this unforgettable event possible.