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Learn About Famous Inventors Who Have Changed the World

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Browse List of Inductees
Showing 1 - 25 of 163 results

Edith Clarke

Graphical Calculator

Pioneering electrical engineer Edith Clarke invented a graphical calculator that greatly simplified the calculations necessary to determine the…
Inducted in: 2015
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 1,552,113
Died:
William Stanley Jr.

William Stanley, Jr.

Induction Coil

William Stanley Jr. invented an array of electrical devices and is best known for designing the induction coil, the first practical transformer that…
Inducted in: 1995
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 349,611
Died:

Moses G. Farmer

Electric Fire Alarm System

Inventor and manufacturer Moses Farmer pioneered the practical application of electricity, using it to drive numerous inventions, including the first…
Inducted in: 2006
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 8,920
Died:
Bantval Jayant Baliga

Bantval Jayant Baliga

Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor

B. Jayant Baliga invented the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), a semiconductor power switch that has reduced gasoline consumption by 10% and…
Inducted in: 2016
Born:
U.S. Patent Nos.: 4,969,028, 5,998,833

Frank J. Sprague

Electric Street Car

Hailed during his lifetime as the "Father of Electric Traction," Frank Sprague's achievements in horizontal transportation were paralleled by equally…
Inducted in: 2006
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 321,149
Died:
Military Service: U.S. Navy
Edmund Schweitzer

Edmund O. Schweitzer III

Digital Protective Relay

Edmund O. Schweitzer III invented the first microprocessor-based digital protective relay, revolutionizing the performance of electric power systems…
Inducted in: 2019
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 4,300,182
Thomas Alva Edison

Thomas Alva Edison

Electric Lamp

One of the outstanding geniuses in the history of technology, Thomas Edison earned patents for over a thousand inventions, including the incandescent…
Inducted in: 1973
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 223,898
Died:

Edward Weston

Portable Voltmeter

Edward Weston advanced the nascent electrical industry by inventing portable electrical measuring instruments that were known worldwide for their…
Inducted in: 2006
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 392,387
Died:

Elihu Thomson

Electric Arc Lamp

Possessing the ability to translate theory into practice, Elihu Thomson was an integral contributor to the development of electricity as a power and…
Inducted in: 2006
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 258,684
Died:

Zenobe Theophile Gramme

Direct-Current Dynamo

Zenobe Theophile Gramme invented the first successful direct-current (DC) dynamo. His dynamo, or generator, produced much higher voltages than…
Inducted in: 2006
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 120,057
Died:

Granville Woods

Railway Telegraphy

A prolific inventor, Granville Woods developed the railroad telegraph, a device that transmitted messages, through static electricity, between moving…
Inducted in: 2006
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 373,383
Died:
Elmer Ambrose Sperry headshot

Elmer Ambrose Sperry

Gyroscopic Compass

Elmer Ambrose Sperry invented gyroscopic-guided automatic pilots for ships and airplanes that have also been applied to spacecraft. Born in Cortland…
Inducted in: 1991
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 1,242,065
Died:
Lewis Latimer

Lewis Latimer

Durable Carbon Filament for Electric Light Bulbs

Lewis Latimer invented a method for producing a more durable carbon filament, making incandescent lighting practical and affordable for consumers.…
Inducted in: 2006
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 252,386
Died:
Military Service: U.S. Navy

Thomas E. Murray

Electric Fuse Box

Thomas E. Murray was an American inventor, entrepreneur, and influential figure in electric utilities at the beginning of the 20th century. He left…
Inducted in: 2011
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 913,754
Died:

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:
S. Duncan Black

S. Duncan Black

Portable Hand-Held Electric Drill

S. Duncan Black and Alonzo G. Decker laid the foundation for the modern power tool industry with their invention of the portable hand-held electric…
Inducted in: 2019
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 1,245,860
Died:

John Birden

Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG)

John Birden and Ken Jordan built and developed the first radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) while working at Monsanto's Mound Laboratory in…
Inducted in: 2013
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 2,913,510
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:

Warren Marrison

Quartz Clock

In the early 20th century, as telephone wires carried more messages and radio broadcasting matured, maintaining stable electrical frequencies and…
Inducted in: 2011
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 1,788,533
Died:
Mildred Dresselhaus headshot

Mildred Dresselhaus

Superlattice Structures for Thermoelectric Devices

Mildred Dresselhaus, often called the "Queen of Carbon Science," started researching carbon when few researchers had any interest in this important…
Inducted in: 2014
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 7,465,871
Died:
Ken Manchester headshot

Ken Manchester

Ion Implantation

Ken Manchester was a pioneer in the development of ion implantation, a process in which silicon is bombarded with ionized atoms to change the…
Inducted in: 2009
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 3,895,966
Died:
Military Service: U.S. Army

Robert N. Hall

Semiconductor Laser

Robert Hall invented the version of the magnetron that operates most microwave ovens, the semiconductor laser found in compact disc players, and…
Inducted in: 1994
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 2,994,018
Died:
Rory Cooper

Rory Cooper

Wheelchair Technology

Biomedical engineer Rory Cooper developed innovations in wheelchair technology that have improved manual and electric wheelchairs, and advanced the…
Inducted in: 2023
Born:
U.S. Patent Nos.: 6,276,705, 8,264,458
Military Service: U.S. Army

Walther H. Nernst

Metallic Filament Incandescent Lamp

Walther Nernst developed a new form of electric lighting, the Nernst lamp, that was a significant improvement over the carbon-filament lamp. In…
Inducted in: 2011
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 623,811
Died:

Les Paul

Solid-Body Electric Guitar

Les Paul introduced the world to the solid-body electric guitar, a pioneering instrument that transformed popular music. Born in Waukesha, Wisconsin…
Inducted in: 2005
Born:
U.S. Patent No.: 3,018,680
Died:
Military Service: U.S. Army