[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 131 (Wednesday, October 18, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S10707]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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               NATIONAL INVENTORS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

 Mr. VOINOVICH. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 
the inductees into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for the year 
2000. Located in Akron, OH, the National Inventors Hall of Fame is 
America's shrine to those who have made significant contributions to 
our nation, and improvements to the quality of life for all mankind. As 
Governor of Ohio, I was proud to speak at the dedication ceremony for 
this magnificent facility in July of 1995, and I was pleased to have 
the Hall also serve as the backdrop for the Edison Innovator Awards my 
office presented to companies throughout the State of Ohio.
  Inductees into the National Inventors Hall of Fame represent the 
epitome of ingenuity and inspiration, and this year's class is no 
exception. Inductees for the year 2000 include: Walt Disney, whose name 
has become synonymous with imagination and creativity; Reginald 
Fessenden, whose pioneering work in the area of wireless communication 
led to the modern radio broadcasting industry; Helen and Alfred Free, 
whose work developing the ``dip-and-read'' urinalysis test greatly 
eased the lives of those suffering from diabetes; J. Franklin Hyde, 
whose discovery of fused silica made possible the fiber optic cable so 
widely used today; William Kroll, who escaped Europe before the onset 
of World War II, and whose work in his home laboratory resulted in a 
process that allows titanium and zirconium to be produced; and Steve 
Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer and the inventor of the modern 
personal computer.
  Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your 
door. In modern parlance, one might say that technological advancement 
is the engine that drives our economy. It is the biggest contributor to 
increasing our standard of living here in the United States, and the 
best way to improve the lives of individuals the world over. This 
progress is essentially made possible through the protection of 
intellectual property that is afforded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark 
Office, the main force behind the founding of the National Inventors 
Hall of Fame. In today's rapidly changing world, the Patent and 
Trademark Office is the ``safe haven'' that encourages men and women to 
accept the challenge to build the better mousetrap through the 
protection of creativity and what our minds can produce.
  Consider the accomplishments of the 158 inventors enshrined at the 
Hall. Consider the contributions they have made to society: to 
prolonging our lives and making them more enjoyable; to reducing our 
workload; and to allowing us to explore new continents and the heavens 
themselves. It is easy to see the power of invention and the tremendous 
impact inventors have on all of us.
  As an Ohioan, I am always struck by the ingenuity and sheer 
determination of two Dayton bicycle workers who dared to believe that 
they could defy gravity with their winged invention. Little did the 
Wright Brothers realize that 66 years after their historic flight, 
man's inquisitive nature would improve upon their invention and put 
another Ohioan--Neil Armstrong--on the moon.
  Invention is progress, and I salute the work of America's inventors, 
the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office and the National Inventors Hall of 
Fame in Akron, Ohio, for their continuing efforts to improve and enrich 
our lives.

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