National Inventors Hall of Fame

National Inventors Hall of Fame
The National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron, Ohio as viewed from across the street.
Abbreviation	NIHF
Formation	1973
Type	NPO
Legal status	Organization
Purpose/focus	"Honor[ing] the women and men responsible for the great technological advances that make human, social and economic progress possible."
Headquarters	520 S. Main St., Suite 2423 Akron, Ohio 44311
Location	Akron, Ohio (school) and Alexandria, Va. (Hall of Fame)
Region served	United States
Membership	460 inventors
Official languages	English
Affiliations	Invent Now America
Website	invent.org

The National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to recognizing, honoring and encouraging invention and creativity through the administration of its programs. The Hall of Fame honors the men and women responsible for the great technological advances that make human, social and economic progress possible. As of 2011^[update] there were 460 inductees. New inductee announcements are made in mid-February.

The National Inventors Hall of Fame was founded in 1973 on the initiative of H. Hume Mathews, then chairman of the National Council of Patent Law Associations (now called the National Council of Intellectual Property Law Associations).^[1] The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office became a cosponsor of the NIHF the following year.^[2]

The Hall is currently located in Alexandria, Virginia, with satellite offices in the Washington, D.C., area and in Los Angeles, California.

Originally housed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the Hall outgrew its location and moved to Akron. Ohio. The Hall of Fame building in Akron, which also housed hands-on interactive exhibits, opened to the public in 1995. The building is currently under construction to build the National Inventors Hall of Fame School Center for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Learning.

During the annual induction ceremony, a new class of inventors is recognized. Inventors must hold a U.S. patent to be considered, and the invention must have contributed to the welfare of mankind and have promoted the progress of science and the useful arts. A National Selection Committee and Blue Ribbon Panel select inductees.

The National Inventors Hall of Fame takes part in physical activities that embody the inventive spirit. The National Inventors Hall of Fame promotes future generations of inventors through Invent Now Kids, a major subsidiary of the organization, and the Collegiate Inventors Competition. In addition, the National Inventors Hall of Fame is involved with many ventures as well as special projects with national partners.

U.S. Patent and Trademark Museum

The National Inventors Hall of Fame was initially located in Washington D.C., near the Ronald Reagan Airport. In 1986, a committee was formed to find a more prominent location. In 1987, Akron, Ohio, patent attorney, Edwin (Ned) Oldham, a newly appointed representative to the National Council of Patent Law Associations, while at a site-selection meeting, learned that the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia was the frontrunner for the new location of the NIHF, prompting Oldham to wonder if Akron might have a chance. Through Oldham's efforts, the NIHF new location came to be Akron, construction on the facility was completed in 1995.^[3] Currently the building is a middle school called the NIHF STEM Middle School.

The National Inventors Hall of Fame and Museum is now located in Alexandria, Va. Located on the United States Patent and Trademark Office campus as part of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Museum, it allows visitors to learn more about the inventors and their profound life changing work. Inscribed on large displays are the names of the inductees, and the museum also includes interactive kiosks, a digital portrait gallery, and a theater. ^[4]

Invent Now

Invent Now operates the National Inventors Hall of Fame at the headquarters of the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Virginia. The museum features exhibits about all the honorees of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, including digital portraits. Other exhibits include artifacts and documents from the collections of the Patent and Trademark Office.

Inductees

See also

• List of African-American inventors and scientists
• NASA spinoff
• Science and technology in the United States
• Technological and industrial history of the United States
• Timeline of United States inventions
• Timeline of United States discoveries
• United States Patent and Trademark Office
• Yankee ingenuity

References

General

• Akron Life and Leisure magazine, Baker Publishing, J. McGarrity, June 2003

Specific

External links

• National Inventors website

Coordinates: 41°04′43.23″N 81°31′01.10″W / 41.078675°N 81.516972°W / 41.078675; -81.516972