[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 154 (Friday, September 26, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S9641]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                          TRIBUTE TO BATTELLE

 Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, today I pay tribute to Battelle, one 
of Ohio's oldest and most respected organizations.
  On October 22, 1938, 70 years ago next month, a sea change in 
printing occurred, though no one but the inventor, Chester Carlson, and 
Battelle had the foresight to recognize it.
  The invention of dry printing, forever memorialized by the etched 
words ``10-22-38 Astoria,'' was the genesis of an American product so 
successful its name became eponymous: Xerox.
  Battelle, the world's largest nonprofit independent research and 
development organization, began its operations in 1929 at the behest 
and funding of founder Gordon Battelle's will. Within a few years, it 
would make history with the same vision, risk taking, and wisdom its 
employees display to this very day.
  Even in today's increasingly paperless era, it is easy to see that a 
simple, rapid, and inexpensive copying process was one of the 20th 
century's most important innovations. With the advent of the Xerox 
machine, the world could make copies at the push of a button.
  Battelle lies at the crossroads of necessity and creativity, an 
intersection we know as innovation. Taking on daunting, real-world 
challenges with technical prowess and ingenuity is Battelle's hallmark.
  In 1935, New York patent attorney and amateur physicist Chester 
Carlson began thinking of easier ways to duplicate material. Extra 
copies of patent specifications and drawings, sometimes dozens or more, 
were necessary with each new job. The man-hours needed for each project 
were staggering.
  So Carlson came up with the unconventional idea of copying by 
creating a visible image on paper using an electrostatic charge. He 
filed for a patent in 1937, calling the process electrophotography. He 
made it work in a real world situation the next year.
  Though he shopped for financial backing at more than 20 of America's 
largest corporations, no one saw the value in Carlson's invention. 
Then, in 1944, he found Battelle. Even though America was in the midst 
of World War II, Carlson and Battelle signed a contract to further 
develop the electrophotography process. Four years later on September 
28, 1948 the first public demonstration of the new technology--then 
named xerography, Greek for dry writing--was performed in Detroit.
  Partnering in 1959 with a company called Haloid Xerox, Battelle and 
Carlson forged ahead to produce the first fast, low-cost, and 
convenient office copier--the 914 model. Xerox would go on to become 
one of the world's largest corporations.
  Battelle grew and diversified with earnings from xerography's 
success. As a result, Battelle is currently the world's largest 
independent R&D organization. It proves that success comes to those who 
are willing to take risks, develop needed technology, and nurture the 
final product with long-term commitment.
  So today, 60 years after the production of the first photocopy, I 
would like to commend Battelle for its role in the development of the 
Xerox copy machine and its continued commitment to technological 
advancement and investment in our Nation's future.

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