National Inventors Hall of Fame announces 2008 inductees

Ray McIntire (1918 – 1996) Styrofoam® brand foam
McIntire, a Dow chemist, created Styrofoam® brand foam, commonly used as building insulation. Polystyrene foam has also given rise to dozens of everyday objects like coolers, coffee cups, packing insulation and more.

Malcom McLean (1913 – 2001) Containerized shipping
McLean’s invention revolutionized cargo handling by eliminating the tedious process of loading, unloading and reloading. He created a cargo box that could be handled interchangeably by any carrier including truck, rail or cargo ship.

Harold McMaster (1916 – 2003) Tempered glass
McMaster developed a machine to carry out the process of tempering glass. The process compresses the glass, adding tensile strength, and leaves the glass with no sharp edges if broken.

William Murphy, Jr. (1923 - ) Medical devices
Murphy’s many successful medical devices include disposable medical procedure trays, blood bags, physiologic cardiac pacemakers, angiographic injectors, and hollow fiber artificial kidneys. He was also the founder of Cordis Corp.

David Pall (1914 – 2004) Filtration
Pall, founder of the Pall Corp., is well known for his leukocyte reduction filter that has become a standard in transfusion medicine. He also made many other types of filters perform very specific tasks, including filters for critical aircraft systems and nylon filters that prevent bacteria from contaminating pharmaceuticals.

Kenneth Richardson (1939 - ) Fluconazole (Anti-Fungal Drug)
Richardson’s work at Pfizer in England has saved the lives of millions around the world by treating transplant recipients, burn victims, chemotherapy patients, AIDS patients, and others with weakened immune systems that make them targets of deadly fungal diseases.

Inventors may be nominated by anyone for induction into the 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. All nominations are reviewed by the Selection Committee, comprised of representatives from national science and technology organizations.

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 the Camp Invention® and Club Invention® programs, Invent Now® initiatives, and the Collegiate Inventors Competition®.