The Smithsonian's Lemelson Center

06/09/2021

The Smithsonian's Lemelson Center updated their website address.

The Smithsonian's Lemelson Center updated their website address.

06/03/2021

The roll out of effective COVID-19 vaccines is happening at a historically unprecedented pace. Manufacturing and delivering vaccines to some 7.8 billion people worldwide, however, has reignited tensions about the role of intellectual property in medicine.

How risky is vaccine development? What is protected by vaccine patents? What role do US and EU patents play for international vaccine distribution?

Join us and our collaborators Center for the Protection of Intellectual Property as we explore the legal and policy debate regarding patents on vaccines.

The program will begin with a brief overview of vaccine history and a virtual tour of relevant objects from the Smithsonian’s collections. A panel discussion concerning the ethical, commercial, and global health implications of vaccine patents will follow the virtual tour and include an audience Q&A.

Register now to save your spot for this fascinating and timely online event on Thursday, June 10, at 1PM ET: https://gmu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SgeaSM8dQTSLzyj-bNxcsQ

The roll out of effective COVID-19 vaccines is happening at a historically unprecedented pace. Manufacturing and delivering vaccines to some 7.8 billion people worldwide, however, has reignited tensions about the role of intellectual property in medicine.

How risky is vaccine development? What is protected by vaccine patents? What role do US and EU patents play for international vaccine distribution?

Join us and our collaborators Center for the Protection of Intellectual Property as we explore the legal and policy debate regarding patents on vaccines.

The program will begin with a brief overview of vaccine history and a virtual tour of relevant objects from the Smithsonian’s collections. A panel discussion concerning the ethical, commercial, and global health implications of vaccine patents will follow the virtual tour and include an audience Q&A.

Register now to save your spot for this fascinating and timely online event on Thursday, June 10, at 1PM ET: https://gmu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SgeaSM8dQTSLzyj-bNxcsQ

05/17/2021

Plan Your Visit

We're reopening! This post from National Museum of American History has what you need to know before planning your visit:

As a public health precaution due to COVID-19, the museum is temporarily closed.

05/12/2021

TODAY at 4:00 PM!
Innovative Lives: Sarah Will & Mike Schultz.

Learn how invention has changed the way these two Paralympic athletes think about their respective sports. Register now for the free online program: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/innovative-lives-sarah-will-and-mike-schultz-tickets-150799297759

Image: Moto Knee animation, courtesy of Mike Schultz.

05/11/2021

Register now to join us tomorrow (5/12/21) for Innovative Lives: Sarah Will & Mike Schultz!

Mike Schultz, a.k.a “Monster” Mike, has transformed the world of adaptive action sports with his inventions. Sarah Will is the most decorated athlete in U.S. Paralympic Alpine Skiing history. This Wednesday (May 12) at 4pm ET, Schultz and Will be joining The Smithsonian's Lemelson Center's next Innovative Lives program to discuss both their own careers and the larger history of innovation in adaptive skiing and snowboarding. Register now to save your spot for the free virtual event: https://s.si.edu/2Rahyhz

📷: Moto Knee and Versa Foot used by Mike Schultz while riding in Adaptive Motocross

04/30/2021

Innovative Lives: Sarah Will and Mike Schultz

Sarah Will is the most decorated athlete in US Paralympic Alpine Skiing history. Mike Schultz, a.k.a “Monster” Mike, has transformed the world of adaptive action sports with his inventions. On Wednesday, May 12, we're bringing them together in conversation with National Museum of American History sports curator Jane Rogers. Don't miss this exciting online event! Registration is free but required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/innovative-lives-sarah-will-and-mike-schultz-tickets-150799297759

Featuring Sarah Will, Paralympic skier and accessibility advocate, and Mike Schultz, inventor of the Moto Knee and Versa Foot.

04/23/2021

Visiting the Smithsonian

Reopening dates have been announced! Our home, the National Museum of American History will open to the public on May 21. Visit the link below to reserve free timed-entry passes.

Learn about visiting our museums and zoo.

04/21/2021

Vaccines and US

Vaccines and US

Learn more about Vaccines and US

04/14/2021

TODAY at 4PM ET! Join us for Innovative Lives: Quickie Wheelchair Inventor Marilyn Hamilton.

In addition to her pioneering work in the mobility industry, Marilyn Hamilton became a 2-Time US Open Wheelchair Tennis Champion and, 2-Time Paralympics and 15-Time National Handicapped Sit-Ski and Mono-Ski Champion.

Register for this free program: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/innovative-lives-quickie-wheelchair-inventor-marilyn-hamilton-tickets-145569677825

TODAY at 4PM ET! Join us for Innovative Lives: Quickie Wheelchair Inventor Marilyn Hamilton.

In addition to her pioneering work in the mobility industry, Marilyn Hamilton became a 2-Time US Open Wheelchair Tennis Champion and, 2-Time Paralympics and 15-Time National Handicapped Sit-Ski and Mono-Ski Champion.

Register for this free program: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/innovative-lives-quickie-wheelchair-inventor-marilyn-hamilton-tickets-145569677825

04/13/2021

Don't miss out on tomorrow's program! Innovative Lives: Quickie Wheelchair Inventor Marilyn Hamilton - register below!

Tomorrow afternoon, don't miss The Smithsonian's Lemelson Center's next Innovative Lives program with inventor Marilyn Hamilton: https://s.si.edu/3wSb4UB

After a hang-gliding accident in 1978, Marilyn Hamilton worked with two friends to invent a lightweight, easy-to-maneuver wheelchair by adapting hang glider materials. They named it Quickie, and Hamilton used it to win wheelchair tennis championships. She co-founded Motion Designs to manufacture the wheelchairs, still sold today.

Register now to learn more about Hamilton’s life as an athlete and inventor as she’s interviewed by curator Katherine Ott on Wednesday, April 14 at 4pm ET.

📷: Quickie Tennis Wheelchair

04/08/2021

Innovative Lives: Quickie Wheelchair inventor Marilyn Hamilton

We invite you to join us for the next program in our Innovative Lives series:
Innovative Lives: Quickie Wheelchair Inventor Marilyn Hamilton.

After a hang-gliding accident in 1978, Marilyn Hamilton worked with two friends to invent a lightweight, easy-to-maneuver wheelchair by adapting hang glider materials. They named it Quickie, and Hamilton used it to win wheelchair tennis championships. She co-founded Motion Designs to manufacture the wheelchairs, still sold today.

Register now to learn more about Marilyn’s life as an athlete and inventor as she’s interviewed by National Museum of American History curator Katherine Ott on Wednesday, April 14 at 4pm ET: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/innovative-lives-quickie-wheelchair-inventor-marilyn-hamilton-tickets-145569677825

Marilyn Hamilton, co-inventor of the Quickie Wheelchair, speaks with museum curator Katherine Ott about her life as an athlete and inventor.

04/02/2021

With heavy hearts but also the joy of having known a vibrant light, we share the news that Dorothy Lemelson (Dolly to friends and family) passed away on Wednesday, March 10.

Born in Perth Amboy, NJ, in 1926, Dorothy attended Parsons School of Design in Manhattan. Upon graduation in 1947, she taught briefly at the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts while establishing herself professionally as an interior designer. She began dating Jerome (Jerry) Lemelson in 1953 when they were reintroduced 15 years after their first meeting as children. Four years later, Jerry quit his job as an engineer to dedicate his time and attention to invention. Jerry would ultimately become one of America’s most prolific and successful independent inventors with more than 600 issued patents in areas ranging across toys and games, machine vision, automatic production and warehousing, medical devices, and others.

In 1994, Dolly and Jerry visited the National Museum of American History and began a relationship that would lead to the creation of the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. The Center’s founding director Art Molella recalls, “To Dolly, compassion was the true mother of invention. This compassion reached far beyond her work into all aspects of her life, touching everyone she encountered. I was immediately struck by how beautifully Dolly and Jerry complemented each other. She matched his deep analytical capacity with her extraordinary aesthetic sensibilities—twin qualities widely recognized as essential to the spirit of humane invention. For us at the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center, it was an inspiration.”

Dolly remained an inquisitive and enthusiastic supporter of the Lemelson Center through its first 25 years, including welcoming its second director, Arthur Daemmrich, in 2015. She strongly endorsed the Center’s attention to the diversity of inventors throughout history and to developing inventive habits of mind, especially in young people engaging with the Center’s Spark!Lab invention activities.

We celebrate Dolly Lemelson's life, her close partnership in Jerry’s invention process, and her incredible legacy.
https://invention.si.edu/about/news/dorothy-lemelson-1926-2021

With heavy hearts but also the joy of having known a vibrant light, we share the news that Dorothy Lemelson (Dolly to friends and family) passed away on Wednesday, March 10.

Born in Perth Amboy, NJ, in 1926, Dorothy attended Parsons School of Design in Manhattan. Upon graduation in 1947, she taught briefly at the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts while establishing herself professionally as an interior designer. She began dating Jerome (Jerry) Lemelson in 1953 when they were reintroduced 15 years after their first meeting as children. Four years later, Jerry quit his job as an engineer to dedicate his time and attention to invention. Jerry would ultimately become one of America’s most prolific and successful independent inventors with more than 600 issued patents in areas ranging across toys and games, machine vision, automatic production and warehousing, medical devices, and others.

In 1994, Dolly and Jerry visited the National Museum of American History and began a relationship that would lead to the creation of the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. The Center’s founding director Art Molella recalls, “To Dolly, compassion was the true mother of invention. This compassion reached far beyond her work into all aspects of her life, touching everyone she encountered. I was immediately struck by how beautifully Dolly and Jerry complemented each other. She matched his deep analytical capacity with her extraordinary aesthetic sensibilities—twin qualities widely recognized as essential to the spirit of humane invention. For us at the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center, it was an inspiration.”

Dolly remained an inquisitive and enthusiastic supporter of the Lemelson Center through its first 25 years, including welcoming its second director, Arthur Daemmrich, in 2015. She strongly endorsed the Center’s attention to the diversity of inventors throughout history and to developing inventive habits of mind, especially in young people engaging with the Center’s Spark!Lab invention activities.

We celebrate Dolly Lemelson's life, her close partnership in Jerry’s invention process, and her incredible legacy.
https://invention.si.edu/about/news/dorothy-lemelson-1926-2021

03/31/2021

Diverse Voices: Women Inventors

Today is the last day of Women's History Month #WHM, but we have resources to continue celebrating the impactful work done by women inventors all year long. Visit https://invention.si.edu/diverse-voices-women-inventors to learn more.

Throughout American history, women with diverse backgrounds and interests created inventions that change our lives every day.

03/09/2021

Innovative Lives: My Inventor Dad

*This program will not be recorded! Don't miss your chance to attend this one time only event!*

Join us on March 10 at 4:00 p.m. ET for an online panel exploring the innovative lives and impactful inventions of two of America’s most notable independent inventors of the late 20th century: Jerome Lemelson and Dr. InBae Yoon.

Innovative Lives: My Inventor Dad will feature filmmakers Robert Lemelson and Cindy Yoon sharing stories and clips from their own documentaries about their famous inventor-fathers. Lemelson Center director Arthur Daemmrich will moderate a discussion about Jerome Lemelson’s and InBae Yoon’s inventive processes, inspirations, and challenges overcome, as well as both filmmakers’ insights on how to document invention itself.

Register for free here: https://myinventordad.eventbrite.com

What is it like to grow up with an inventive parent?

03/04/2021

Quick! Name the first inventor that comes to mind…. Was it a woman inventor? Women haven’t always had equal opportunities to be inventors but have overcome obstacles to create inventions that change our lives every day! Learn about them in "Picturing Women Inventor," our new poster exhibition in collaboration with The Smithsonian's Lemelson Center. Educators, you can request your copy here: https://s.si.edu/3dupTWc #PicturingWomenInventors #BecauseOfHerStory

02/23/2021

Black Inventors and Innovators: New Perspectives

In November 2020 the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center hosted our annual New Perspectives symposium online for the first time. The pivot to digital programming created the opportunity for us to record all five of the program’s panel discussions.

We now invite you to watch the session recordings of New Perspectives: Black Inventors and Innovators by visiting https://invention.si.edu/black-inventors-and-innovators-new-perspectives. Check out the full roundup of recordings, session and speaker details, and additional resources for further study.

#WhatWillYouInvent #InnovativeLives #BlackHistoryMonth

Join the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation for a week-long webinar series drawing renewed attention to historic and contemporary inventors of color and Black technology consumers, while discussing strategies for building a more equitable innovation ecosystem.

02/19/2021

Game Changers Inventor Spotlight: Tahira Reid Smith

Engineering professor Dr. Tahira Reid Smith has been inventive since childhood and is best known for her automated double-Dutch jump rope machine.

Growing up in the Bronx, New York, young Tahira Reid was encouraged to be creative by her extended Jamaican-American family, and also earned recognition and support from teachers for her math talent. As an undergraduate student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), she took a highly-rated class called “Introduction to Engineering Design” with Professor Burt Swersey, who became her mentor. With Swersey’s “game changer” guidance, Reid started to develop a double-Dutch jump rope machine—something she had first dreamt about in third grade and for which she had won a youth poster competition.

Continue reading about Dr. Tahira Reid Smith's inventive life, new on our blog: https://invention.si.edu/game-changers-inventor-spotlight-tahira-reid-smith

#WhatWillYouInvent #InnovativeLives #BlackHistoryMonth

Engineering professor Dr. Tahira Reid Smith has been inventive since childhood and is best known for her automated double-Dutch jump rope machine.

02/10/2021

Innovative Lives: Jessica O. Matthews

Today! Jessica O. Matthews joins us online for Innovative Lives. Registration is free but required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/innovative-lives-jessica-o-matthews-tickets-136485474729

#BlackHistoryMonth #WhatWillYouInvent #InnovativeLives

The Smithsonian's Lemelson Center's 2021 Innovative Lives series continues this month with featured speaker Jessica O. Matthews.

02/08/2021

Innovative Lives: Jessica O. Matthews

Have you heard of Nigerian-American inventor Jessica O. Matthews?

Jessica’s career started at the age of 19 with her invention of the SOCCKET, an energy-generating soccer ball. At the age of 22, Jessica founded Uncharted Power as a power solutions company before expanding to integrated infrastructure solutions.

Jessica’s success in entrepreneurship led to a White House invitation from President Barack Obama to represent small companies for the signing of the America Invents Act in 2012. In 2016, she raised what was at the time the largest Series A round ever raised by a black female founder in history, and was selected to ring the NASDAQ opening ceremony bell, representing all Forbes 30 Under 30 alumni.

We invite you to join us on Wednesday, Feb. 10 for Innovative Lives: Jessica O. Matthews. Jessica joins us live online to share her story, her motivations, and her unique approach to invention.

Registration is free, but required: https://unchartedpower.eventbrite.com

The Smithsonian's Lemelson Center's 2021 Innovative Lives series continues this month with featured speaker Jessica O. Matthews.