Read Short Biographies and Complete a Comparison of Character Traits for Inventors

Read Short Biographies and Complete a Comparison of Character Traits for Inventors

Instructions for the Teacher:

Have students visit: http://www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/1_1_2_listing_inventor.asp?vAlpha=
and read at least 3 short biographies of inventors before choosing 2 to do a comparison/contrast Venn Diagram for. This will tie together student understanding of product comparison with reading skills. Here is a list of the biographies on the website:


Acheson , Edward Goodrich
Carborundum
Edward Acheson's discovery of carborundum, a highly effective abrasive . . . .

Adler , Robert
Television Remote Control
Robert Adler invented the first practical, wireless television remote . . . .

Affel , Herman A.
Concentric Conduction System
Herman Affel and Lloyd Espenschied invented coaxial cable at AT&T Bell . . . .

Alexanderson , Ernst F. W.
Radio
Inventor Ernst Alexanderson was the General Electric Company engineer . . . .

Alford , Andrew
Localizer Antenna System
Andrew Alford invented and developed antennas for radio navigation sys . . . .

Allen , Samuel Leeds
Flexible Flyer Sled

Alvarez , Luis Walter
Radio Distance and Direction Indicator
Luis Walter Alvarez invented a radio distance and direction indicator. . . . .

Anderson , Mary
Windshield Wiper
While touring the city of New York in a trolley car on a snowy day in . . . .

Armat , Thomas J.
Motion Picture Projector
Thomas J. Armat was a pioneer of early cinema best known for the co-in . . . .

Armstrong , Edwin Howard
Radio
His crowning achievement (1933) was the invention of wide-band frequen . . . .

Atalla , Martin (John) M.
Semiconductor Devices Having Dielectric Coatings
John Atalla is one of the inventors of the metal-oxide-semiconductor f . . . .

Babcock , Alpheus
Cast-Iron Piano Frame

Babcock , George
Steam Generator

Baekeland , Leo Hendrik
Bakelite
Leo Hendrik Baekeland is cited for his research in electric insulation . . . .

Baer , Ralph
Television Gaming and Training Apparatus
Engineer Ralph Baer, a pioneer in the field of interactive video games . . . .

Bagley , Rodney D.
Catalytic Converter
Bagley developed the extrusion die and process that made a thin-walled . . . .

Baldwin , Matthias
Steam Locomotive
Matthias Baldwin built America's first great locomotive. The nation's . . . .

Banks , Robert
HDPE and Polypropylene Plastics
Robert Banks and fellow research chemist Paul Hogan were working for P . . . .

Banting , Frederick
Isolated, Purified Insulin
Millions of diabetics owe their lives to Frederick Banting's idea and . . . .

Baran , Paul
Digital Packet Switching
Paul Baran developed a fundamental concept behind today's advanced com . . . .

Bardeen , John
Transistor
Physicists John Bardeen, William B. Shockley, and Walter Brattain shar . . . .

Bateman , C. Donald
Ground Proximity Warning System
C. Donald Bateman has saved the lives of countless airplane passengers . . . .

Beard , Andrew
Jenny coupler for railroad cars

Beckman , Arnold O.
pH Meter
Arnold O. Beckman invented a pH meter for measuring acidity and alkali . . . .

Begun , S. Joseph
Magnetic Recording
Semi Joseph Begun was a pioneer of magnetic recording. He developed t . . . .

Bell , Alexander Graham
Telephone / Telegraphy
Alexander Graham Bell's invention of the telephone grew out of his research into ways to improve the telegraph. On April 6, 1875, Bell was granted the patent for the multiple telegraph, which sent two signals at the same time. In September 1875 he began to write the specifications for the telephone. On March 7, 1876, the . . . .

Benerito , Ruth
Wrinkle Free Cotton
Method for Producing Cotton Fabrics Through partial Esterification
Bennett , Willard H.
Radio Frequency Mass Spectrometer
Willard Harrison Bennett pioneered the field of plasma physics and inv . . . .

Berliner , Emile
Gramophone / Microphone
Emile Berliner invented the microphone that became part of the first B . . . .

Bessemer , Henry
Bessemer Process

Best , Charles
Purified Insulin

Bigelow , Erastus
Power loom

Binney , Edwin
Manufacturing Lamp Black

Binnig , Gerd Karl
Scanning Tunneling Microscope
Since the invention of the first microscope, scientists have searched . . . .

Bird , Forrest M.
Respirator / Ventilator
On television every week in the 1960s, Dr. Kildare committed himself t . . . .

Birdseye , Clarence
Frozen Foods
In 1924 Birdseye launched General Seafoods to sell frozen fish. Two ye . . . .

Biro , Laszlo Josef
Ballpoint Pen

Black , Harold Stephen
Negative Feedback Amplifier
Research engineer Harold S. Black revolutionized telecommunications by . . . .

Blake , Eli Whitney
Machine for Crushing Stone

Blanchard , Helen
Zig Zag sewing machine

Blanchard , Thomas
Pattern lathe
Thomas Blanchard devised a machine that transformed gun manufacturing . . . .

Blodgett , Katharine Burr
Langmuir-Blodgett films

Blum , Samuel
LASIK Eye Surgery
Samuel Blum was working with Rangaswamy Srinivasan and James Wynne at . . . .

Blumberg , Baruch S.
Vaccine for Hepatitis B
Baruch Blumberg discovered an antigen in 1963 that detected the presen . . . .

Bogardus , James
Iron Buildings

Bohlin , Nils I.
Safety Belt

Borden Jr. , Gail
Process for condensing milk

Bosch , Karl
Process of Producing Ammonia

Bose , Amar
Feedback Control
Feedback Control
Bower , Robert
Field-Effect Device with Insulated Gate; Self Aligned Gate MOSFET
Robert Bower invented the Field-effect Device with Insulated Gate know . . . .

Boyden , Seth
Process for making malleable iron

Boyer , Herb
Genetic Engineering
Herb Boyer was with the University of California, San Francisco when h . . . .

Boyle , Willard
Charge-coupled device
Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith invented the charge-coupled devic . . . .

Bradley , Milton
Game board

Brandenberger , Jacques
Cellophane

Brannock , Charles F.
Foot Measuring Device

Brattain , Walter H.
Transistor
Physicists John Bardeen, William B. Shockley, and Walter Brattain shar . . . .

Brill , Yvonne C.
Electrothermal Hydrazine Resistojet
Yvonne Brill is known for her innovations in rocket propulsion. Her mo . . . .

Brown , Rachel Fuller
Nystatin (Antifungal / Antibiotic)
The world's first useful antifungal antibiotic, nystatin, was developed through a long-distance scientific collaboration.

Working as researchers for the . . . .

Browning , John Moses
Breech-Loading Firearm

Brush , Charles
Arc lamp for street lighting

Bundy , Francis P.
Diamond Synthesis
Francis Bundy, along with Tracy Hall, Robert Wentorf and Herbert Stron . . . .

Burbank , Luther
Peach and Fruit
During a lifetime devoted to plant breeding, Luther Burbank developed . . . .

Burckhalter , Joseph H.
Isothiocyanate Compounds (Antigen)
Antibodies are the body's protectors. When antigens, such as bacteria . . . .

Burroughs , William Seward
Calculator
William Seward Burroughs invented the first practical adding and listi . . . .

Burton , William Meriam
Catalytic Cracking
Chemist and oil industry executive William Meriam Burton recognized th . . . .

Bush , Vannevar
Differential Analyzer

Calahan , Edward
Stock ticker

Campbell , Donald L.
Catalytic Cracking
Donald Campbell was one of four Exxon Research & Engineering Co. (ER&E . . . .

Campbell , George A.
Loading Coil
George Campbell was a leader in applying mathematical methods to the p . . . .

Camras , Marvin
Magnetic Recording
Marvin Camras' inventions are used in modern magnetic tape and wire re . . . .

Carlson , Chester F.
Electrophotography (Xerox) / Instant Copying
Physicist Chester F. Carlson, the father of xerographic printing, was born in Seattle, Washington. Plagued by needs for copies of patent drawings and specifications, Carlson investigated ways of automatic text and illustration reproduction, working out of his apartment. While others sought chemical or photographic solutions to 'instant copying' problems, Carlson turned to electrostatics and in 1938 succeeded in obtaining his first 'dry-copy' and the first of many patents two years later. It took presentations to more than 20 companies before Carlson was able to interest the . . . .

Carothers , Wallace Hume
Synthetic Rubber
Wallace Hume Carothers, who has been called one of the most brilliant organic chemists ever employed by . . . .

Carrier , Willis Haviland
Air Conditioner
American engineer and inventor Willis Haviland Carrier developed the formulae and equipment that made air conditioning possible. The world's first spray type air conditioning equipment was Carrier's 'Apparatus for Treating Air,' which he correctly predicted would be used to enhance comfort as well as improve industrial processes and products. In 1911 Carrier disclosed his basic 'Rational Psychrometric Formulae' to the . . . .

Carruthers , George R.
Far Electrograph Ultraviolet Camera
With the Naval Research Laboratory since 1964, Carruthers has been a d . . . .

Carver , George Washington
Peanut Products
Agricultural chemist George Washington Carver developed . . . .

Cepollina , Frank
Satellite Servicing Techniques
When it comes to furthering innovation in space and technology, Cepoll . . . .

Cerf , Vinton
Internet Protocol
Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn designed the architecture of the Internet . . . .

Chapin , Daryl M.
Silicon Solar Cell
Solar Energy Converting Apparatus
Chappelle , Emmett M.
Bioluminescence Techniques

Charnley , John
Acetabular Sockets
Acetabular Sockets
Cho , Alfred Y.
Optical Devices Utilizing Single Crystal GaP or GaAs Films Epitaxially Grown on CaF Substrates and Method of Fabricating Same
Alfred Cho is considered "the father of molecular beam epitaxy," a pro . . . .

Claude , Georges
Neon Tubing

Cochran , Josephine
Dishwasher

Cohen , Stan
Genetic Engineering
Herb Boyer was with the University of California, San Francisco when h . . . .

Collip , James
Isolated, Purified Insulin
The process for producing enough pure insulin for clinical trials was . . . .

Colt , Samuel
Revolver with Interchangeable Parts

Colton , Frank B.
Oral Contraceptives
Frank B. Colton developed Enovid, the first oral contraceptive. Colto . . . .

Conover , Lloyd H.
Tetracycline
Lloyd H. Conover invented the antibiotic tetracycline, which became th . . . .

Coolidge , William D.
Vacuum Tube (X-Ray)
William D. Coolidge's name is inseparably linked with the X-ray tube-p . . . .

Cooper , Peter
First steam locomotive built in America

Coover , Harry
Superglue
Harry Coover's discovery of cyanoacrylates, a class of chemicals with . . . .

Corliss , George
Improvements in the steam engine

Coston , Martha
Signal flares used by ships

Cottrell , Frederick G.
Electrostatic Precipitator
As industrial smokestacks became a common sight at the turn of the cen . . . .

Coulter , Wallace
Coulter Principle
One of the giant corporate players in the field of medical technology . . . .

Cousteau , Jacques-Yves
Diving Unit
Jacques Cousteau and Emile Gagnan together invented the modern demand . . . .

Cowen , Joshua Lionel
Toy Train

Coxe , Eckley
Traveling grate furnace

Cray , Seymour
Supercomputer
Seymour Cray unveiled the CRAY-1 in 1976, considered the first superco . . . .

Crompton , George
Loom

Curtiss , Glenn
Hydroaeroplane
After establishing the G.H. Curtiss Manufacturing Company in 1902, Cur . . . .

Cushman , Wayne
Captopril

Daimler , Gottleib
Design of automobile and motorcycle engines

Damadian , Raymond V.
MRI
Raymond Damadian invented the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner . . . .

Davies , Donald Watts
Digital Packet Switching

de Mestral , George
Velcro
In 1955, George de Mestral patented VELCRO® hook and loop fasteners, a . . . .

Dean , Mark
Peripherals
Mark Dean and his co-inventor Dennis Moeller created a microcomputer s . . . .

Deere , John
Plows
John Deere developed the first American cast steel plow. The implemen . . . .

Deforest , Lee
Radio
In the early 1900s, the great requirement for further development of r . . . .

Dennard , Robert
DRAM
Robert Heath Dennard invented one-transistor Dynamic Random Access Mem . . . .

Devol , George
Industrial Robot
In the 1930s, George Devol began realizing the value of factory automa . . . .

Dick , Albert B.
Duplicating Machine
Albert Dick, who founded the ABDick Company in 1883, invented the mime . . . .

Diesel , Rudolf
Internal-Combustion Engine
Though best known for his invention of the pressure-ignited heat engin . . . .

Diffie , Whitfield
Public-Key Cryptography
In 1976, Whitfield Diffie, Martin Hellman, and Ralph Merkle developed . . . .

Disney , Walt
Multiplane Camera
Seldom has an individual become so intrinsically linked to a concept a . . . .

Djerassi , Carl
Oral Contraceptives
Carl Djerassi is recognized for his breakthroughs in chemistry and for . . . .

Dolby , Ray
Dolby Noise Reduction
Ray Dolby revolutionized the audio industry in the 1960s by inventing . . . .

Dow , Herbert Henry
Bromine Extraction
Herbert Henry Dow, founder of the . . . .

Draper , Charles Stark
Stabilizing Gyroscpic
Aeronautical engineer and university professor Charles Stark Draper de . . . .

Drew , Richard Gurley
Adhesive Tape

Drinker , Philip
Respiration Apparatus

Dunlop , John
Pneumatic tire for cycles

Durant , Graham John
Tagamet - Cimetidine
Graham J. Durant, John Colin Emmett, and C. Robin Ganellin led the Smi . . . .

Eastman , George
Photography
Eastman began his search for a transparent and flexible film in 1884. The first commercial film, put into production a year later, was cut in narrow strips and wound on a roller device patented by Eastman and Walker. Film rolls sufficient for 100 exposures were mounted in a small box camera-the . . . .

Easton , Roger
TIMATION Satellite Navigation System
TIMATION is an acronym of TIMe navigATION, proposed by the U.S. Naval . . . .

Eckert , J. Presper
ENIAC

Edgerton , Harold E.
Photography
Pioneering research in stroboscopic photography by Harold E. Edgerton . . . .

Edison , Thomas Alva
Electric Lamp
One of the outstanding geniuses in the history of technology, Thomas Edison earned patents for more than a thousand inventions, including the incandescent electric lamp, the phonograph, the carbon telephone transmitter, and the motion-picture projector. In addition, he created the world's first industrial research laboratory. In September 1878, after having viewed an exhibition of a series of eight glaring 500-candlepower arc lights, Edison boldly announced he would invent a safe, mild, and inexpensive electric light that would replace the gaslight in millions of homes; moreover, he would accomplish this by an entirely different method of current distribution from that used for arc lights. To back the lamp effort, some of New York's leading financial figures joined with Edison in October 1878 to form the Edison Electric Light Company, the predecessor of today's . . . .

Einhorn , Alfred
Novocain

Einthoven , Willem
Electrocardiograph
Receiving of Wireless Signals
Elion , Gertrude Belle
Anti-Leukemia drugs
Gertrude Belle Elion invented the leukemia-fighting drug 6-mercaptopurine and drugs that facilitated kidney transplants. Hired by Burroughs-Wellcome (now . . . .

Ellis , Carleton
Margarine
Carleton Van Staal Ellis was an inventor who used his knowledge of org . . . .

Emmett , John Colin
Tagamet - Cimetidine
Graham J. Durant, John Colin Emmett, and C. Robin Ganellin led the Smi . . . .

Engelbart , Douglas
Computer Mouse
Douglas Engelbart's patent for the mouse is only a representation of h . . . .

Ericsson , John
Screw Propeller
John Ericsson invented the ship propeller and incorporated the landmark device into his design for the Civil War ironclad the Monitor. In 1826 he moved to London, where he showed the breadth of his engineering genius by developing or improving transmission of power by compressed air, new types of steam boilers, condensers for marine steam engines (so ships could travel farther), placing warship engines below the water line (for protection against shell fire), the steam fire-engine, the design and construction of a steam locomotive (which competed with the historic Rocket, the first steam powered locomotive), an apparatus that made salt from brine, superheated steam engines, the flame or 'caloric' engine. His most enduring invention was the screw propeller, which is still the main form of marine propulsion. Early methods of applying steam power at sea-steam-driven oars, paddle wheels-were inefficient and, for warships, vulnerable to enemy attack. In 1839 Ericsson introduced propellers to vessels on the canals and inland waterways and commenced building a 'big frigate' for the . . . .

Espenschied , Lloyd
Coaxial Cable

Evans , Oliver
Steam Engine