Editing National Inventors Hall of Fame

{{Short description|American not-for-profit organization}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox organization
| name                     = National Inventors Hall of Fame
| image                    = Interactive kiosk for inventor information - 1, National Inventors Hall of Fame - USPTO building in Alexandria, Virginia.jpg
| size                     = 225px
| caption                  = Display of inductees in the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Alexandria
| map                      =
| msize                    = 150px
| mcaption                 =
| abbreviation             = NIHF
| motto                    =
| formation                = 1973
| extinction               =
| type                     = [[Non-profit organization|NPO]]
| status                   = Organization
| purpose                  = "Honor[ing] the women and men responsible for the great technological advances that make human, social and economic progress possible."
| headquarters             = 3701 Highland Park N.W.<br>North Canton, Ohio 44720
| location                 = [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]], Virginia (Hall of Fame museum)
| region_served            = United States
| membership               = 652 inventors <!-- Through 2025 induction class -->
| leader_title             =
| leader_name              =
| main_organ               =
| parent_organization      =
| affiliations             = [[Invent Now America]]
| num_staff                =
| num_volunteers           =
| budget                   =
| website                  = {{URL|www.invent.org}}
| remarks                  =
}}
The '''National Inventors Hall of Fame''' ('''NIHF''') is an American [[Nonprofit organization|not-for-profit organization]], founded in 1973, which recognizes individual [[engineers]] and [[inventors]] who hold a US [[patent]] of significant [[technology]]. Besides the Hall of Fame, it also operates a museum in [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]], Virginia, sponsors educational programs, and a collegiate competition.<ref>[http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=1727 “National Inventors Hall of Fame”], ''Ohio History Central''. Retrieved February 17, 2013.</ref>

As of 2025, 652
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<!-- So, Σ Inductees =  Σ List_Total_Refs - Σ List_Intro_Refs. E.g., as of 2025: 655-3 = 652 Inductees. -->
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inventors have been inducted, mostly constituting historic persons from the past three centuries, but also including living inductees.<ref>{{Cite web|title = National Inventors Hall of Fame|url = https://www.invent.org/inductees/new-inductees}}</ref> Nominees must hold a US patent of significant contribution to the US welfare, and which advances science and useful arts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.invent.org/honor/inductees/nominate-an-inventor/|title=Nominate|author=National Inventors Hall of Fame|access-date=March 9, 2017}}</ref>

== History ==
The National [[Inventors]] [[Hall of Fame]] was founded in 1973 on the initiative of H. Hume Mathews, then the chairman of the National Council of Patent Law Associations (now the National Council of Intellectual Property Law Associations).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20020204222500/http://invent.org/book/origin.html “Origin and Presidents of the National Inventors Hall of Fame”], ''The National Inventors Hall of Fame'', Invent.org, archived February 4, 2002. Retrieved February 18, 2013.</ref> It was launched by [[Ed Sobey]], who was also the first director.<ref name="semester">{{cite web|url=https://www.semesteratsea.org/faculty-and-staff/ed-sobey/|title=President Ed Sobey Northwest Invention Center|author=|publisher=[[Semester at Sea]]|access-date=February 12, 2021|archive-date=February 12, 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210212204949/https://www.semesteratsea.org/faculty-and-staff/ed-sobey/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Mayfield">{{cite book|last1=Mayfield|first1=John E.|title=The Engine of Complexity: Evolution as Computation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DCh8qQWMjLgC&q=Ed+Sobey|date=2013|publisher=[[Columbia University Press]]|location=New York City|page=249|isbn=978-0231535281}}</ref> In 1974, it gained a major sponsor in the [[U.S. Patent and Trademark Office]] from [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref>[http://www.southwickresearch.com/Inventions/Inventors-Journal-1974-1976.pdf “National Inventors Hall of Fame”], ''The Inventors' Journal'', Vol. 1, No. 1 (November 9, 1974), p. 2, col. 1. (PDF)</ref>

At first, the Hall was housed in the [[United States Patent and Trademark Office|U.S. Patent and Trademark Office]] in Washington, D.C., near the [[Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport|Washington National Airport]] but it soon needed more room at a more prominent location. A committee was formed in 1986 to find a new home for it. For a time, the [[Franklin Institute]] in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], was the frontrunner. But in 1987, a patent attorney from Akron, Edwin "Ned" Oldham, the representative from the National Council of Patent Law Associations, led the drive to move the Hall to Akron. According to Maurice H. Klitzman, one of the founding members of the Board of Directors, because of the guaranteed financial support by the city of Akron that greatly exceeded any other community's proposal, the Board selected Akron as the new home. The construction of the new building was finished in 1995 and the Hall opened to the public with the name of the Inventure Place.<ref>Gamerman, Amy (August 1995). "A cooperstown for gadgeteers and tinkerers", ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]''. p. A9, Subscription required.</ref>

[[File:InventorsHallofFameinAkron.jpg|thumb|Inventure Place & NIHFM (Akron), 1995-2008]]
From the beginning, the Inventure Place was intended to be more than a science and technology museum and library. It was designed to double as an inventor's workshop and a national resource center for creativity. Designed by an architect from New York City, [[James Polshek|James Stewart Polshek]], it was a stainless-steel building, shaped like a curving row of white sails, with five tiers of exhibits. One of the exhibits allowed the visitors to use computer programs for making animations and mechanisms for running laser-light shows.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/30/travel/travel-advisory-inventors-hall-of-fame-opens-in-akron-ohio.html “Inventors Hall of Fame opens in Akron, Ohio”], ''[[The New York Times]]'', July 30, 1995, section 5, p. 3.</ref>

But attendance did not meet expectations and the museum never made a profit, although its related ventures and programs, such as Invent Now and Camp Invention, proved to be more successful. In 2002, its name was changed to the National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum (NIHFM). Six years later the NIHFM moved to Alexandria, Virginia. Its former facility was converted to a [[specialty school]] for students in grades between 5th and 8th. Since 2010 it has been the National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM Middle School, a [[middle school]] for the [[Akron Public Schools]].<ref>Biliczky, Carol (May 17, 2008) [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_multi=AK|&p_product=AK&p_theme=gatehouse&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_dispstring=Officials%20OK%20plans%20for%20ailing%20museum:%20National%20Inventors%20Hall%20of%20Fame%20will%20remain%20in%20operation,%20but%20will%20be%20resource%20for%20new%20school,%20undergo%20other%20changes%20AND%20date(all)&p_field_advanced-0=&p_text_advanced-0=(Officials%20OK%20plans%20for%20ailing%20museum:%20National%20Inventors%20Hall%20of%20Fame%20will%20remain%20in%20operation,%20but%20will%20be%20resource%20for%20new%20school,%20undergo%20other%20changes)&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no Officials OK plans for ailing museum: National Inventors Hall of Fame will remain in operation, but will be resource for new school, undergo other changes] ''Akron Beacon Journal'', accessed April 17, 2020, Subscription required.</ref><ref>[http://www.roadsideamerica.com/blog/inventors-hall-of-fame/ “Inventors Hall of Fame No Perpetual Motion Machine”], June 22, 2008, RoadsideAmerica: Trunkations.</ref><ref>[http://www.akronschools.com/scienceschool/ “National Inventors Hall of Fame® School ... Center for STEM Learning”] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091119190725/http://www.akronschools.com/scienceschool/ |date=November 19, 2009}}, [[Akron Public Schools]].</ref>

An annual induction ceremony is held to honor the newest inventor members.  The venue is typically held near the NIHFM, though location varies; e.g., Arlington, VA in 1980;<ref>{{cite journal |title=BRIEFLY NOTED |journal=Columbia University Record |date=26 February 1980 |volume=5 |issue=13 |page=2 |url=https://curecordarchive.library.columbia.edu/?a=d&d=cr19800226-01.2.7&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN------- |access-date=6 May 2025 |publisher=Columbia University |quote=in Arlington, VA}}</ref> Akron, OH in 1990<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hershfield |first1=Steve |title=The Weekend of April 5th Through 9th, 1990 |url=https://plasticspioneers.org/the-weekend-of-april-5th-through-9th-1990/ |website=plasticspioneers.org |publisher=Plastics Pioneers Association |access-date=6 May 2025 |date=2025 |quote=in the Goodyear Aerospace Building, commonly known as the “blimp factory”}}</ref> and 2006;<ref>{{cite web |last1=Montagne |first1=Renee |title=Inventive Bunch Heads to Hall of Fame |url=https://www.npr.org/2006/05/05/5385311/inventive-bunch-heads-to-hall-of-fame |website=www.npr.org |publisher=NPR |access-date=6 May 2025 |date=May 5, 2006 |quote=ceremonies today and tomorrow in Akron, Ohio}}</ref> and Washington, DC in 2003<ref>{{cite web |author1=SpaceRef |title=Goddard Engineer Among 2003 Inductees into National Inventors Hall of Fame |url=https://spacenews.com/goddard-engineer-among-2003-inductees-into-national-inventors-hall-of-fame/ |website=spacenews.com |publisher=SPACENEWS |access-date=6 May 2025 |date=February 11, 2003 |quote=ceremony in Washington, D.C.}}</ref> and 2010 onward.<ref>{{cite web |title=National Inventors Hall of Fame: 38th Annual Induction Ceremony |url=https://www.c-span.org/event/public-affairs-event/national-inventors-hall-of-fame-38th-annual-induction-ceremony/183085 |website=www.c-span.org |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=6 May 2025 |date=March 31, 2010 |quote=in Washington, District of Columbia}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web |last1=DuVergne Smith |first1=Nancy |title=Five with MIT ties tapped for Inventors Hall of Fame |url=https://news.mit.edu/2016/five-from-mit-inducted-inventors-hall-fame-0205 |website=news.mit.edu |publisher=Massachusetts Institute of Technology |access-date=6 May 2025 |date=February 5, 2016 |quote=a ceremony in Washington}}</ref> During the museum's 2009 relocation, inductions were held at the [[Computer History Museum]] in Mountain View, CA.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Allen |first1=Frederick E. |title=Honoring The Creators Of The Computerized World |url=https://www.forbes.com/2009/05/04/computer-inventors-induction-leadership-citizenship-halloffame.html |website=www.forbes.com |publisher=Forbes |access-date=6 May 2025 |date=May 4, 2009}}</ref>

== Activities ==
[[File:USPTO4000.JPG|thumb|U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Madison Building in [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]], home to the National Inventors Hall of Fame museum]]
In Alexandria, the National Inventors Hall of Fame operates a museum in the [[U.S. Patent and Trademark Office]] building at 600 Dulany Street, with a gallery of digital portraits of the honorees, interactive kiosks and a theater.<ref>{{cite web| title=Our Museum is a National Monument to Innovation| url=http://invent.org/hall-of-fame/| website=National Inventors Hall of Fame| access-date=April 17, 2020}}</ref> Admission is free.

In addition to the exhibits of the artifacts and documents from the collections of the Patent and Trademark Office, it also sponsors Camp Invention, Club Invention, and the Collegiate Inventors Competition.

Camp Invention, founded in 1990, is a daytime summer camp for children, with program sites in 49 states.<ref>Ali, Aman (June 15, 2006). [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_multi=AK|&p_product=AK&p_theme=gatehouse&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_dispstring=Camp%20demands%20creativity:%20Youngsters%20enjoy%20hands-on%20learning%20in%20one%20of%20many%20National%20Inventors%20Hall%20of%20Fame%20programs%20AND%20date(6/1/2006%20to%206/30/2006)&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date:B,E&p_text_date-0=6/1/2006%20to%206/30/2006)&p_field_advanced-0=&p_text_advanced-0=(Camp%20demands%20creativity:%20Youngsters%20enjoy%20hands-on%20learning%20in%20one%20of%20many%20National%20Inventors%20Hall%20of%20Fame%20programs)&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no Camp demands creativity: Youngsters enjoy hands-on learning in one of many National Inventors Hall of Fame programs] ''Akron Beacon Journal'' Accessed April 17, 2020, Subscription required.</ref> Camp Invention is the only nationally recognized summer program focused on creativity, innovation, real-world problem solving and the spirit of the invention.

The Collegiate Inventors Competition was created in 1990 to encourage college and university students to be creative and innovative with science, engineering, and technology for dealing with the problems of the world. Since then, with the help from the sponsors, it has awarded more than $1 million to the winning students in two categories, undergraduate and graduate. In 2012, the first places were won with a delivery therapy for treating [[cancer]] and a way to facilitate [[suturing]] in abdominal surgery. Other finalists included the use of [[CT scanning]] and [[3-D printing]] technology to replicate an amputee's lost hand, a low-profile shoulder brace that can be applied by the athletes themselves, and an electric motorcycle that runs on spheres instead of wheels.<ref>{{cite press release| title=Collegiate Inventors Honored for Innovative Science and Technology Advances| publisher=National Inventors Hall of Fame| url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/collegiate-inventors-honored-for-innovative-science-and-technology-advances-179142191.html| via=[[PR Newswire]]| date=November 13, 2012| access-date=April 17, 2020}}</ref>

==Inductees==
{{main|List of National Inventors Hall of Fame inductees}}

==See also==
*[[NASA spinoff]] technologies
*[https://technology.nasa.gov/ihof/ NASA Inventors Hall of Fame] 
*[[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
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|National Inventors Hall of Fame}}
*{{Official website|www.invent.org}}

{{Authority control}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:National Inventors Hall Of Fame}}
[[Category:American inventors| ]]
[[Category:Science and technology halls of fame]]
[[Category:Halls of fame in Virginia]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Akron, Ohio]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1973]]
[[Category:Technology museums in the United States]]
[[Category:Museums in Alexandria, Virginia]]
[[Category:Science museums in Virginia]]
[[Category:Biographical museums in Virginia]]