Thomas Edison Labs Named Landmark

Abstract

Although many know that Thomas Alva Edison had an aptitude for turning scientific advances into useful products such as the lightbulb, fewer people may realize that many of those inventions were enabled by his knowledge and application of chemistry. To highlight this connection, the American Chemical Society has recognized the chemical research and development work of the iconic inventor as a National Historic Chemical Landmark. Ceremonies at the present-day sites of Edison’s laboratories marked the designation. The events were held at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers, Fla., on May 25; the Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange, N.J., on June 6; and The Henry Ford museum in Dearborn, Mich., on Sept. 20. Edison, who was born in 1847, “believed in the transforming power of chemistry to improve people’s lives in powerful ways,” said Ned D. Heindel, past-president of ACS, who spoke at the West ...