Remembering the NIHF Inductees We Lost in 2022

Since 1973, the National Inventors Hall of Fame^® (NIHF) has inducted creators, innovators and entrepreneurs whose work has made a significant impact on our society. To date, we have honored 608 Inductees and shared their lessons and stories with the next generation of innovators through nationwide education programs.

As we approach the end of 2022, we invite you to join us in remembering the lives of five Hall of Famers who passed away this year.

Raymond Damadian

Raymond Damadian made a revolutionary contribution to diagnostic medicine when he invented the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. Obtaining information through the use of static and dynamic magnetic fields, Damadian’s MRI scanner produced images of the interior of the body that were far more detailed than was possible with X-ray devices such as the CAT scanner. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1984. To encourage innovation in the next generation, Damadian made personal visits to Camp Invention^® program sites.

Leonard Flom

In 1987, Leonard Flom and his co-inventor and fellow Inductee Aran Safir patented the iris recognition system. Based on the fact that no two irides are alike, their system involved illuminating the eye, obtaining an image of the iris and comparing that image with stored data. Today, iris recognition is considered the most accurate biometric identification based on physical or behavioral characteristics. By visiting Camp Invention program sites, Flom provided invaluable insight and inspiration to many young innovators.

Nick Holonyak Jr.

Nick Holonyak Jr. invented the first visible light-emitting diode (LED) in 1962. Using less electricity than traditional incandescent bulbs and lasting years longer, LEDs have transformed the lighting, communications and entertainment industries. Holonyak was awarded the National Medal of Science in 1990 and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 2002.

Luc Montagnier

Luc Montagnier was best known for his 1983 discovery of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which led to the development of a test for detecting the presence of HIV in blood samples. He was the co-founder of the World Foundation for AIDS Research and Prevention, as well as the joint recipient of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Morton Mower

Morton Mower and his co-inventors and fellow Inductees Michel Mirowski, Stephen Heilman and Alois Langer created the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), which monitors and corrects abnormal heart rhythms. It is 99% effective in treating sudden cardiac arrest, delivering an electric shock directly to the heart. First implanted in a patient in 1980 and approved by the FDA in 1985, the ICD has since benefited more than 2 million people around the world. In serving as a Collegiate Inventors Competition^® Judge, Mower recognized emerging inventors and provided them with meaningful feedback and advice to apply to their own innovative journeys.

Learn More About Our Hall of Famers

To learn more about other NIHF Inductees whose work has shaped industries and saved lives, we encourage you to visit our website.