National Inventors Hall of Fame induction ceremony to air on PBS 45 & 49

KENT, Ohio — May 7, 2008 — PBS 45 & 49 will broadcast in its entirety the National Inventors Hall of Fame induction ceremony that was held on Saturday, May 3 for the eight living inventors who were inducted into the hall of fame. In all, 19 people were inducted during ceremonies held last weekend. National Inventors Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will air on Sunday, May 11 at 5 p.m. The two-hour program offers the only local broadcast of the induction ceremony, which was held in downtown Akron.

This year’s class includes the inventors of the first visible LED, the first practical solar cell that converted solar energy into electrical power and the man who pioneered acoustics technology.

Following are the living members of the 2008 inductee group who are featured in the broadcast:

• Ruth Benerito: wrinkle-free cotton

• Amar Bose: audio technology

• Nick Holonyak Jr.: light-emitting diode (LED)

• Erna Hoover: computerized telephone switching

• Amos Joel Jr.: switching concept for cellular phones

• William Murphy Jr.: medical devices, including blood bag and disposable medical trays

• Kenneth Richardson: Fluconazole (anti-fungal drug)

• Louis Stevens, data storage machine

 

Another group of inventors received posthumous recognition at a ceremony held on Friday, May 2:

• Robert Adler: television remote control

• John Charnley: hip replacement surgery

• Willem Einthoven: electrocardiograph

• Calvin Fuller, Gerald Pearson, Daryl Chapin: silicon solar cell

• Clarence “Kelly” Johnson: aircraft

• Ray McIntire: Styrofoam-brand foam

• Malcom McLean: containerized shipping

• Harold McMaster: tempered glass

• David Pall: filtration technology

 

Inventors may be nominated by anyone for induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, but they must hold a U.S. patent to be considered. The nominee’s invention must have contributed to the welfare of society and have promoted the progress of science and the useful arts.

 

About PBS 45 & 49
PBS 45 & 49 is owned and operated by Northeastern Educational Television of Ohio, Inc., a private, nonprofit corporation and consortium of Kent State University, The University of Akron and Youngstown State University. A trusted community resource, PBS 45 & 49 uses the power of commercial-free television and related services to enrich the lives of people through high-quality programming and educational services that teach, illuminate and inspire. The only broadcast television service that reaches all of northeast Ohio, PBS 45 & 49 is available to 1.8 million households and 4.6 million people in the Cleveland and Youngstown designated market areas. In an average week, over 530,000 households (about 30 percent in the region) tune in. Through funding from eTech Ohio, the organization provides K-12 educational technology training and instructional television programming to 21,500 educators and 257,400 students in eight Ohio counties. For more information about PBS 45 & 49, visit www.pbs4549.org or call 1-800-554-4549.

About the National Inventors Hall of Fame
The not-for-profit National Inventors Hall of Fame is the premier organization in America dedicated to honoring and fostering creativity and invention. Each year a new class of inventors is inducted into the Hall of Fame in recognition of their patented inventions that make human, social, and economic progress possible. Founded in 1973 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the National Council of Intellectual Property Law Association, the Hall’s permanent home is Akron, Ohio, where the inventors in the Hall are honored and from where it administers its national programs, including Camp Invention, Club Invention, Invent Now and the Collegiate Inventors Competition.