2019 Induction Ceremony

On May 1-2, 2019, the world’s greatest innovators converged for the National Inventors Hall of Fame^® (NIHF) Induction Ceremony in Washington, D.C. Hosted in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and our sponsors, the Induction Ceremony honored the 19 innovators in the 2019 class of Inductees.

Illumination Ceremony

Inductees and their families were invited to the Illumination Ceremony on May 1, where they placed their personalized, illuminated hexagons into the Gallery of Icons^™ exhibit, forever commemorating their inclusion in the Hall of Fame. This exclusive event was hosted at the NIHF Museum in Alexandria, Virginia.

The patented Gallery of Icons commemorates each of the hundreds of innovators the Hall of Fame has Inducted since 1973. Hung in a tessellating hexagon pattern inspired by honeycombs and organized by patent number, this wall of icons represents the history of American innovation, shaped by our Inductees.

Induction Ceremony

On the evening of May 2, our 2019 Inductees and their families were joined by past Inductees like Steve Sasson, Jim West and Edith Flanigen at the Induction Ceremony.

This world-class black-tie gala was held at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., and hosted by Danica McKellar — star of the TV show “The Wonder Years,” Hallmark Channel regular, mathematician and author.

At the formal dinner and award ceremony, Inductees were invited on stage to receive their medal.

For historical Inductees, awards were accepted by family members or representatives from the companies they’ve founded or worked for. For example, the awards for S. Duncan Black and Alonzo G. Decker were accepted by representatives of Stanley Black & Decker.

The Greatest Celebration of American Innovation^® closed with the Innovation Celebration, where Inductees and their guests were invited to mingle with sponsors, intellectual property leaders and inventors.

Throughout this two-day event, past and present Inductees came together to celebrate each other’s achievements in advancing society through the power of invention.

Special Thanks

In partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, NIHF would not be able to bring these inventors to light and honor them in this ceremony without the help of our sponsors. Many thanks to all our sponsors and a special thanks to Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, IBM, Qualcomm and Stanley Black & Decker — we thank you for making this event happen.