Inventors
Individuals in the inventors category must:
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Have at least one patent.
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Have an invention that is not related to the other STEM categories.
Lorenzo Langstroth (1810-1895)
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Image Source: National Inventors Hall of Fame​
Born: December 25, 1810 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died: October 6, 1895 in Dayton, Ohio
About:
Pastor who invented the artificial beehive and was a pioneer in the practice of beekeeping.
Learn More:
Online Articles:
"Lorenzo L. Langstroth." National Inventors Hall of Fame, www.invent.org/inductees/lorenzo-l-langstroth.
"Lorenzo L. Langstroth Historical Marker." ExplorePAhistory.com, https://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-3FE.
"How Lorenzo Langstroth’s Hive Shaped Beekeeping." National Inventors Hall of Fame, www.invent.org/blog/inventors/lorenzo-langstroths-modern-beehive.
Historical Marker:
"15-9 Langstroth Cottage / Lorenzo Langstroth “The Bee-Man of Oxford”." Remarkable Ohio, https://remarkableohio.org/marker/15-9-langstroth-cottage-lorenzo-langstroth-the-bee-man-of-oxford/.
Video:
The Ohio Channel (Youtube). “Lorenzo Langstroth ‘The Bee-Man of Oxford’”. Run Time: 3 min 26 s. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6mjYgooXB8.
Josephine Cochrane (1839-1913)
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​Image Source: National Inventors Hall of Fame
Born: March 8, 1839 in Ashtabula County, Ohio
Died: August 3, 1913
About:
Inventor of the modern dishwasher. She started a company to produce these dishwashers now known as KitchenAid.
Learn More:
Online Articles:
"Josephine Cochrane." Lemelson-MIT, https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/josephine-cochrane.
Greathouse, John. "This Woman Invented Something 160 Million Americans Use Each Thanksgiving." Forbes, 24 Nov. 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/johngreathouse/2020/11/24/this-woman-invented-something-160-million-americans-will-use-on-thanksgiving-day/?sh=71ddf62d491b.
"I'll do it myself." United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/journeys-innovation/historical-stories/ill-do-it-myself.
"Josephine Garis Cochran." National Inventors Hall of Fame, www.invent.org/inductees/josephine-garis-cochran.
Video:
HISTORY (YouTube). “The Machines That Built America: Josephine Cochran Invents the First Dishwashing Machine (Season 1)”. Run Time: 8 min 53 s. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBo1jhXzGLc.
Book:
Hannigan, Kate. Josephine and Her Dishwashing Machine: Josephine Cochrane's Bright Invention Makes a Splash. United States, Astra Publishing House, 2023.
Alexander Winton (1860-1932)
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Image Source: Wikipedia​
Born: June 20, 1860 in Grangemouth, Scotland
Died: June 21, 1932 in Cleveland, Ohio
Connection to Ohio: Immigrated to the U.S. at 19, settled in Cleveland in 1884.
About:
Inventor with over 100 patents relating to automobile design and founder of the Cleveland-based Winton Motor Company, which manufactured automobiles from 1897 to 1924.
Learn More:
Online Articles:
"Alexander Winton." National Inventors Hall of Fame, www.invent.org/inductees/alexander-winton.
"Winton, Alexander." Case Western Reserve University, https://case.edu/ech/articles/w/winton-alexander.
Guerreri, Vince. "Cleveland Inventions: Alexander Winton Pushed Car Manufacturing Forward." Cleveland Magazine, 1 Dec. 2021, https://clevelandmagazine.com/in-the-cle/articles/cleveland-inventions-alexander-winton-pushed-car-manufacturing-forward.
Sisson, Matthew. "Winton Place." Cleveland Historical, https://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/237#:~:text=(1)%20Making%20the%20first%20commercial,3.
Sisson, Matthew. "Winton Motor Carriage Co." Cleveland Historical , 27 Sept. 2023, clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/267.
Historical Marker:
"128-18 Alexander Winton Homestead." Remarkable Ohio, https://remarkableohio.org/marker/128-18-alexander-winton-homestead/.
Book:
Saal, Thomas F., and Golias, Bernard J.. Famous But Forgotten: The Story of Alexander Winton, Automotive Pioneer and Industrialist. United States, Golias Pub., 1997.
Lyda Newman (Between 1865 & 1885 - Unknown)
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​​Image Source: Lemelson-MIT (Originally Cited from The United States Patent and Trademark Office)*​
Born: Between 1865 and 1885 in Ohio
Died: Unknown
About:
Inventor of the first hairbrush with synthetic bristles. Also known for being an advocate of women’s rights.
*The photo is a detail taken from Lyda Newman's hairbrush patent. There are no verified photos of her known to exist. There are several photos on the internet that claim to be her, but we choose not to include them because we want to ensure that all of the information we include, including photos, is historically accurate.
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Learn More:
Online Articles:
"Lyda Newman." Lemelson-MIT, https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/lyda-newman.
Bellis, Mary. "Lyda Newman Invents Vented Hair Brush." ThoughtCo., 29 Jan. 2019, www.thoughtco.com/inventor-lyda-newman-1991285.
Patent:
https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/4d/e1/e7/fc7b9a222e2413/US614335.pdf.
Rollin Henry White (1872-1962)
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Image Source: The National Inventors Hall of Fame
Born: July 11, 1872 in Cleveland, Ohio
Died: September 10, 1962 in Hobe Sound, Florida
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About: Founder of White Motor Company. Was also an inventor who had 100 patents relating to automobiles.
Learn More:
Online Articles:
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"White, Rollin Henry." Case Western Reserve University, https://case.edu/ech/articles/w/white-rollin-henry.
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"Rollin Henry White." National Inventors Hall of Fame, www.invent.org/inductees/rollin-henry-white#:~:text=Rollin%20H.,under%20the%20trade%20name%20Cletrac.
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Giffin, Sophie. "Cleveland Inventions: The Steam Generator Set The Groundwork for the Auto Industry." Cleveland Magazine, 1 Dec. 2021, https://clevelandmagazine.com/in-the-cle/articles/cleveland-inventions-the-steam-generator-set-the-groundwork-for-the-auto-industry.
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White Motor Corporation:
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"White Motor Corp." Case Western Reserve University, https://case.edu/ech/articles/w/white-motor-corp.
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Video:
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Jay Leno’s Garage (Youtube). “1907 White Steam Car, 30 Hp - Jay Leno's Garage”. Run Time : 17 min 43 s. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf8miprLH60&t=1s.
Garrett Morgan (1877-1963)
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​Image Source: Biography.com
Born: March 4, 1877 in Paris, Kentcuky
Died: July 27, 1963 in Cleveland, Ohio
About:
Learn More:
Black inventor who developed an improved traffic light and the safety hood, an early version of a gas mask. Was also a serial entrepreneur and advocate of civil rights.
Note: Morgan also had native american and caucasian ancestry.
Online Articles:
DeLuca, Leo. "Black Inventor Garrett Morgan Saved Countless Lives with Gas Mask and Improved Traffic Lights." Scientific American, 25 Feb. 2021, www.scientificamerican.com/article/black-inventor-garrett-morgan-saved-countless-lives-with-gas-mask-and-improved-traffic-lights/#
Smith, Monica M. "Diverse Voices: Inventor Garrett Morgan." Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, 21 Feb. 2022, https://invention.si.edu/diverse-voices-inventor-garrett-morgan.
Tikkanen, Amy. "Garrett Morgan." Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Aug. 2023, www.britannica.com/biography/Garrett-Morgan.
Cain, Brenda. "Garrett A. Morgan, Cleveland’s ‘Black Edison,’ created today’s traffic light and gas mask: Black History Month’s Untold Stories." Cleveland.com, 4 Feb. 2022, www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2022/02/garrett-a-morgan-clevelands-black-edison-created-todays-traffic-light-and-gas-mask-black-history-months-untold-stories.html.
Blitz, Matt. "The Untold Story of the Man Who Called Himself the "Black Edison"." Popular Mechanics, 13 Sept. 2016, www.popularmechanics.com/technology/design/a22802/garrett-morgan-inventor/.
"Garrett Morgan." National Inventors Hall of Fame, www.invent.org/inductees/garrett-morgan.
"Of courage and caution." United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/journeys-innovation/historical-stories/courage-and-caution.
"Safer Stop and Go: Garrett Morgan’s Traffic Signal Legacy." U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, 11 July 2024, https://highways.dot.gov/highway-history/general-highway-history/safer-stop-and-go-garrett-morgans-traffic-signal-legacy.
Historical Marker:
"10-39 Garrett Morgan’s Wakeman Country Club / Garrett Augustus Morgan (1877-1963)." Remarkable Ohio, https://remarkableohio.org/marker/10-39-garrett-morgans-wakeman-country-club-garrett-augustus-morgan-1877-1963/.
Videos:
Smithsonian Channel (Youtube). “This Inventor Risked His Life on His Own Invention”. Run Time: 4 min 56 s. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ5KXM0aGw8.
News 5 Cleveland (Youtube). “Invention of the traffic light by Garrett Morgan was in Cleveland in 1923”. Run Time: 5 m 11 s. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8iTQGtv1a8.
James A. Parsons Jr. (1900-1989)
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Image Source: The National Inventors Hall of Fame
Born: May 30, 1900 in Dayton, Ohio
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Died: March 4, 1989
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About:
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Metallurgist, inventor of alloy 20, also known as Durimet 20.
Learn More:
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Online Articles:
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"James A. Parsons Jr." National Inventors Hall of Fame, www.invent.org/inductees/james-parsons-jr.
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"2023 NIHF Inductee James A. Parsons Jr.: Metallurgist and Educator." National Inventors Hall of Fame, www.invent.org/blog/inventors/james-parsons-jr.
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"James A. Parsons." Rensselaer, https://ecse.rpi.edu/about/hall-of-fame/james-parsons.
Maria Telkes (1900-1995)
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​Image Source: United States Patent and Trademark Office​
Born: December 12, 1900 in Budapest, Austria Hungary (Now part of Hungary)
Died: December 2, 1995 in Budapest, Hungary
Connection to Ohio: When she first immigrated to the United States, she spent the first part of her career working as a biophysicist for the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
About:
Biophysicist and chemist known for her inventions relating to solar power.
Learn More:
Online Articles:
Butler, Kristin, and Bailey Mariner. "The Marvelously Inventive Life of Mária Telkes." PBS, 17 Mar. 2023, www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/sun-queen-marvelously-inventive-life-maria-telkes/.
Butler, Kristin. "Capturing the Sun Queen." PBS, 27 Mar. 2023, www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/sun-queen-capturing-the-sun-queen/.
Rafferty, John P.. "Mária Telkes". Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Dec. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Maria-Telkes.
"How Mária Telkes Became ’The Sun Queen’." National Inventors Hall of Fame, www.invent.org/blog/inventors/maria-telkes-the-sun-queen.
"Maria Telkes." Lemelson-MIT, https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/maria-telkes.
Formichelli, Cristina. "Cleveland Inventions: Maria Telkes Was A Leader In Solar Power." Cleveland Magazine, 1 Dec. 2021, https://clevelandmagazine.com/in-the-cle/articles/cleveland-inventions-maria-telkes-was-a-leader-in-solar-power.
Google Doodle:
"Celebrating Mária Telkes." Google, 12 Dec. 2022, www.google.com/doodles/celebrating-maria-telkes.
Videos:
The Sun Queen. , PBS, 2023, www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/sun-queen/. Run Time: 52 min 22 s.
American Experience | PBS (Youtube). “Dr. Mária Telkes | TRAILBLAZERS | THE SUN QUEEN | AMERICAN EXPERIENCE | PBS”. Run Time: 2 min 17s. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNBrhzD3xgw.
Lewis Urry (1927-2004)
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Image Source: The Chemical Engineer
Born: January 29, 1927 in Pontypool, Ontario, Canada
Died: October 19, 2004
Connection to Ohio: Moved to Parma, Ohio in 1955 to work at the Eveready Research Laboratory.
About:
Inventor of the first alkaline battery with a long battery life.
Learn More:
Online Articles:
"Lewis Urry." Lemelson-MIT, https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/lewis-urry.
Skubik, Margaret. "Cleveland Inventions: Lewis Urry's Contribution to Battery Science." Cleveland Magazine, 1 Dec. 2021, https://clevelandmagazine.com/in-the-cle/articles/cleveland-inventions-lewis-urry's-contribution-to-battery-science.
Glorfeld, Jeff. "How the bunnies got their power." Cosmos, 1 Sept. 2019, https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/science-history-how-the-bunnies-got-their-power/.
Historical Marker:
"105-18 The National Carbon Company / Lewis Frederick Urry." Remarkable Ohio, https://remarkableohio.org/marker/105-18-the-national-carbon-company-lewis-frederick-urry/.
Esther Sans Takeuchi (1953- Present)
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Image Source: The National Inventors Hall of Fame
Born: September 8, 1953 in Kansas City, Missouri
Connection to Ohio: Takeuchi spent most of her childhood in Akron, Ohio. She would also earn her PhD in organic chemistry from the Ohio State University.
About:
Inventor of improved batteries for Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs).
Learn More:
Online Articles:
"Esther Sans Takeuchi." National Inventors Hall of Fame, www.invent.org/inductees/esther-sans-takeuchi.
"Esther Sans Takeuchi." National Science and Technology Medals Foundation, https://nationalmedals.org/laureate/esther-sans-takeuchi/.
Takeuchi, E. S. (2024, April 18). A Window into the Life and Science of Esther Sans Takeuchi. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 128(15), 6161-6166. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.4c01665.
Video:
European Patent Office (Youtube). “Esther Sans Takeuchi - Batteries to reset the heart”. Run Time: 6 min 42 s. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fztzqz5lyiI.