Inventor of 3D printing to be inducted into hall of fame

Abraham Lincoln, the only President ever to be granted a patent , once stated that “The patent system added the fuel of interest to the fire of genius.” In that spirit, the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will celebrate on May 21 in Alexandria, VA, new inductees who have created inventions that have changed the world.

This year the hall of fame and trademark office will honor the U.S. patent holders who gave us the 3D printer, the Nike running shoe, and many other advancements in medicine, science, technology and engineering.  The event will also include the grand re-opening of the National Inventors Hall of Fame on the USPTO campus.

The 2014 National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductees are as follows:

•    Charles Hull – Stereolithography, commonly known as 3D printing, which has become the basis of a new industry;

Charles Hull
•    Frances H. Arnold – Directed evolution of enzymes that enables a wide range of solutions in fields including chemical engineering, bioengineering, medicine, pharmaceuticals and energy;
•    Richard DiMarchi – Insulin Lispro (Humalog), a drug that significantly reduced the risk of life-threatening complications for diabetes patients;
•    Mildred Dresselhaus – Development of super lattice structures and related carbon technologies that served as the foundation for the lithium-ion batteries used today in computers, cell phones and automobiles;

Mildred Dresselhaus
•    Ashok Gadgil – Innovative solutions for providing clean water in the world's developing nations;
•    Howard Aiken, Benjamin Durfee, Frank Hamilton, and Clair Lake (honored posthumously) – Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator (ASCC or Mark I), which was the first large scale digital automatic calculator in the U.S. and a precursor to modern computer technology;
•    George Antheil and Hedy Lamarr (honored posthumously) – Frequency hopping techniques that are often referenced as an important development in wireless communications;

Hedy Lamarr
•    William Bowerman (honored posthumously) – A lighter and faster athletic shoe;
•    Otis Boykin (honored posthumously) – Advancements in electrical resistors that made possible the steady workings of guided missiles, pacemakers, televisions, radios, computers, and other electrical devices;
•    David Crosthwait (honored posthumously) – Advancements in indoor climate control technology that made heating systems in larger buildings more effective;
•    Willis Whitfield (honored posthumously) – First modern clean room that today is essential to the manufacture of modern electronic devices.
The Hall of Fame grand re-opening will be coupled with an exclusive celebration event to introduce guests to the new space and its interactive exhibits. The Hall of Fame is 5,000 square feet and is open to the public on Thursday, May 22 starting at 11 a.m.  For more information about the National Inventors Hall of Fame or the grand re-opening, visit www.invent.org.