National Inventors Hall of Fame Announces 2006 Inductees

    WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing its commitment to honor
 invention and innovation, the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation has
 recognized the next group of world-class inventors who will be inducted into
 its ranks.  This year's class includes a diverse sampling, such as Robert
 Gore, who gave us the material that's now known by the GORE-TEX(R) brand name;
 Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn, who are often referred to as the "fathers of the
 Internet;" and Julio Palmaz, who revolutionized cardiac care with his
 intravascular stent.
     The 2006 group includes eight living inventors who represent
 accomplishments that have bettered our quality of life. From advancing digital
 imaging to better ways of administering medicine, and from modernizing the
 printing process to enabling the widespread use of the Internet, the work of
 each inventor has had an impact on all of our lives.
 
     The 2006 class of inductees:
     LIVING
      - Willard Boyle, George Smith:  Charge-coupled device
      - Vinton Cerf, Robert Kahn:  Internet Protocol
      - Robert Gore:  ePTFE, known by the GORE-TEX(R) brand name
      - Ali Javan:  Helium-neon laser
      - Robert Langer, Jr.:  Controlled drug delivery
      - Julio Palmaz:  Intravascular stent
 
     POSTHUMOUS RECOGNITION
      - Herman Affel, Lloyd Espenschied:  Coaxial cable
      - Gregory Pincus:  Oral contraceptive pill
      - Richard Hoe:  Rotary printing press
      - Benjamin Holt:  Caterpillar track-type tractor
      - Dale Kleist, Games Slayter, John Thomas:  Fiberglass
      - William Upjohn:  Dissolvable pill
      - Granville Woods:  Railroad telegraph
      - Karl Bosch, Fritz Haber:  Ammonia production process
      - Elihu Thomson:  Arc lighting
 
     Every year, the National Inventors Hall of Fame honors through induction
 the individuals whose work has changed society and improved the way we live.
 Their vision, hard work and creative drive have led to powerful new tools that
 shape the future while celebrating invention.  The 2006 class will be inducted
 this year during the annual ceremonies held on May 5-6 in Akron, Ohio.
     "This year's group of inventors has influenced the way we live our lives
 day to day, " said Fred Allen, head of the Selection Committee for the
 National Inventors Hall of Fame. "It's an honor to nationally recognize their
 valuable achievements and contributions, as they truly exemplify innovation."
 
     This year's inductees are an accomplished group:
     Herman Affel (1893-1972), Lloyd Espenschied (1889-1986)  Coaxial cable
     While at AT&T Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1929, Affel and Espenschied
 invented coaxial cable. The cable advanced long distance telephone service,
 making it possible to carry thousands of simultaneous phone calls on long
 distance circuits.
 
     Karl Bosch (1884-1940), Fritz Haber (1868-1934)  Ammonia production
 process
     The Haber-Bosch process has remained unchanged since the early 1900s, and
 is used today to manufacture thousands of tons of ammonia used worldwide in
 the production of fertilizer.
 
     Willard Boyle (1924- ), George Smith (1930-)  Charge-coupled device
     The charge-coupled device (CCD) was key to advancing digital imaging
 technology, and can be found in most imaging devices including digital
 cameras, scanners and satellite surveillance.
 
     Vinton Cerf (1943- ), Robert Kahn (1938- )  Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
     Cerf and Kahn created the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) that allows the
 widespread use of the Internet. Cerf and Kahn are often referred to as the
 "fathers of the Internet."
 
     Robert Gore (1937- )  ePTFE
     Gore invented a new form of polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) widely known
 by the GORE-TEX(R) brand name. Valued by outdoor enthusiasts, GORE-TEX(R)
 materials also have applications in medical, industrial, electrical and
 textile products.
 
     Richard Hoe (1812-1886)  Rotary printing press
     Hoe's advanced printing press technology allowed for the development of
 the first mass media, and revolutionized newspaper printing.
 
     Benjamin Holt (1849-1920)  Track-type tractor
     Holt ushered in the modern era of mechanized farming with his invention,
 the first track-type tractor known as the "Caterpillar." The tractor went on
 to be applied not just to agriculture, but also earthmoving and military
 operations.
 
     Ali Javan (1926- )  Helium-neon laser
     The helium-neon laser is the most useful, practical and profitable type of
 laser in use today. It made holography practical, is used in UPC code checkout
 scanners and is critical for a wide range of construction, medical and
 monitoring technologies.
 
     Robert Langer (1948- )  Controlled Drug Delivery
     Langer revolutionized biomedical technology through the development of a
 controlled drug delivery system. He also pioneered a variety of remotely
 controlled drug delivery systems that vary the amount of drug released through
 electric impulse, ultrasound and magnetic fields.
 
     Julio Palmaz (1945- )  Intravascular Stent
     The Palmaz(R) Stent was the first commercially successful intravascular
 stent. It has revolutionized cardiac care, with more than a million people
 undergoing coronary artery stenting annually to repair clogged arteries.
 
     Gregory Pincus (1903-1967)  Oral contraceptive pill
     By creating the first practical oral contraceptive, the birth control
 pill, in the 1950s, Gregory Pincus brought privacy and convenience to women
 worldwide.
 
     Games Slayter (1896-1964), Dale Kleist (1909-1998), John Thomas (1907-
 1991)  Fiberglass
     In the 1930s, the trio developed the method for mass production of
 affordable fiberglass, the basis for Owens-Corning Fiberglas(R) Corporation.
 Today, Owens Corning is a $5 billion global leader, manufacturing not just
 glass fiber insulation, but also glass fiber impregnated laminates used in
 sports cars, boats and bathroom fixtures.
 
     Elihu Thomson (1853-1937)  Arc lighting
     Thomson was an integral contributor to the development of electricity as a
 power and light source during the turn of the 20th century.
 
     William Upjohn (1853-1932)  Dissolvable pill
     In 1880, Upjohn began developing a pill that dissolved easily in the
 stomach. In 1884 he invented a machine to mass-produce these pills with a
 regulated dosage.
 
     Granville Woods (1856-1910)  Railroad telegraph
     A prolific inventor, Woods developed the railroad telegraph, a device that
 transmitted messages between moving trains. Prior to its creation, moving
 trains were unable to communicate with each other or with rail stations.
 
     Inventors may be nominated by anyone for induction into the Hall of Fame,
 but they must hold a U.S. patent to be considered.  The nominee's invention
 must have contributed to the welfare of society and have promoted the progress
 of science and the useful arts.  All nominations are reviewed by the Selection
 Committee, comprised of representatives from national science and technology
 organizations.
     The not-for-profit National Inventors Hall of Fame is the premier
 organization in America dedicated to honoring and fostering creativity and
 invention.  Each year a new class of inventors is inducted into the Hall of
 Fame in recognition of their patented inventions that make human, social and
 economic progress possible.  Founded in 1973 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark
 Office and the National Council of Intellectual Property Law Association, the
 Hall's permanent home is Akron, Ohio, where the inventors in the Hall are
 honored and from where it administers its national programs, including Camp
 Invention(R), Club Invention(R), Invent Now(R), and the Collegiate Inventors
 Competition(R).
 
 

SOURCE  National Inventors Hall of Fame