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.

FMI: www.invent.org/2003induction