Hall of Fame to Honor Pioneers
Celebrating the centennial of aviation, the
National Inventors Hall of Fame will pay tribute to one of the
greatest accomplishments of humankind by recognizing seventeen
inventors whose ideas have advanced the fields of aviation and
aerospace.
From developing airplanes that fly non-stop around the world, to
jets that travel faster than the speed of sound, and rockets that
can launch us into space, this year's inductees have left their
mark on the past one hundred years of flight, exploring new
frontiers in the world around us.
The inventors to be honored are:
- Dr. George R. Carruthers - Far Electrograph Ultraviolet
Camera
- Mr. Frank Cepollina - Satellite Servicing Techniques
-
Mr. Glenn Hammond Curtiss (posthumous) -
Hydroaeroplane (right)
- Dr. Maxime Faget - Space Capsule Design
- Mr. Leroy Grumman (posthumous) - Retractable Landing Gear;
Folding Wing
- Mr. Charles H. Kaman - Rotor Control Mechanism for Rotary
Aircraft
- Mr. Paul Kollsman (posthumous) - Altimeter
- Mr. Edwin A. Link (posthumous) - Link Trainer/Simulator
- Mr. Thomas Midgley, Jr. (posthumous) - Ethyl Gasoline
- Mr. John K. Northrop (posthumous) - Flying Wing plane;
All-Metal High-Wing Monocoque Airplane (Vega)
- Dr. John Pierce (posthumous) - Communications Satellite
- Dr. Harold A. Rosen - Spin Stabilized Synchronous
Communications Satellite
- Dr. Theodore von Karman (posthumous) - Turbo Jet
- Dr. Hans J.P. von Ohain (posthumous) - Jet Engine
- Dr. Richard Whitcomb - Supercritical Wing
- Sir Frank Whittle (posthumous) - Jet Engine
-
Dr.
Sam Williams - Small Fan-Jet Engine
"With this year's marking one hundred years of flight, we are
very excited to recognize this year's inductees as pioneers in
aviation and aerospace," said Clyde Bailey, president, National
Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation. "The contributions they have
made profoundly impact our lives and have paved the way for the
future."
Lifetime Achievement award: to John Glenn (D-OH)
This year's induction, taking place in May, will also include
the presentation of a lifetime achievement award to John Glenn, the
first American to orbit the Earth and former member of the U.S.
Senate. Glenn has a long and extraordinarily varied list of
significant accomplishments and his innovation has served as an
inspiration to the nation, from his early career to his political
life to his last space flight. Lifetime achievement awards are
given to living individuals whose lifetime has been devoted to
activities that have fostered or sought to protect creativity and
innovation in the United States.
To further honor this milestone in aviation and
the patent holders that have contributed their minds to taking us
further and faster around our world, the United States Patent and
Trademark Office Museum is opening a new exhibit. The exhibit
"Invention Takes Flight" features inventors whose aviation-related
patents have earned a place in the National Inventors Hall of Fame
and presents the influence of their technology on many creative
endeavors, from music and literature to art, photography, dance and
design. Through the use of model aircraft, photos, patents,
trademarks and other aviation-related artifacts, "Invention Takes
Flight" will explore aviation and aerospace inventions and their
role in sparking the imagination of the world. The exhibit will be
on display from February 11 through December 31, 2003.