[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 87 (Tuesday, June 2, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3453-S3454]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     RECOGNIZING STANFORD OVSHINSKY

 Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I wish to recognize Mr. Stanford 
Ovshinsky, on the occasion of his induction into the National Inventors 
Hall of Fame. Mr. Ovshinsky, the eldest son of working-class Jewish 
parents in Akron, OH, displayed an early conviction to improving the 
lives of all Americans. This conviction inspired a lifelong dedication 
to advancing labor rights, civil rights, and civil liberties. Despite 
no formal education after receiving his high school diploma, Mr. 
Ovshinsky became one of the 20th century's most prolific inventors. His 
vision and concern for the greater good led to over 400 patents, 
including major contributions to flexible solar panels, computer 
memory, flat-screen TV displays, and the development of the nickel-
metal hydride battery.
  Mr. Ovshinsky's belief in the ability of science and technology to 
advance environmental stewardship and quality of life was rooted in his 
experience as a member of the Workmen's Circle, a Jewish fraternal 
organization committed to community, an enlightened Jewish culture, and 
social justice since it was established in 1900. The Workmen's Circle 
inspired Mr. Ovshinsky to pursue science and develop advanced 
technology dedicated to heightening economic opportunity and improving 
people's relationship with the environment around the world. After 
starting his career as a toolmaker in Akron, Mr. Ovshinsky moved to 
Detroit in 1952, where he was director of research at the Hupp 
Corporation and established General Automation with his younger 
brother, Herb Ovshinsky.
  At General Automation, Mr. Ovshinsky continued his research on 
intelligent machines, as well as early work on various information and 
energy technologies. He was invited by Wayne State University to 
conduct research at the university's neuroscience lab, where he 
discovered the connection between the amorphous structure of brain 
cells and amorphous glassy materials. This discovery encouraged Mr. 
Ovshinsky and his brother to construct the Ovitron, a mechanical model 
of a nerve cell constructed of thin layers of amorphous material, 
creating the first nanostructure, and establishing the foundation of 
his research for decades.
  Following his experience at General Automation, Mr. Ovshinsky founded 
Energy Conversion Devices in 1960 with Iris Dibner, who would become 
his wife and partner for over 50 years. It was at Energy Conversion 
Devices that he established Ovonics--the process of turning glassy, 
thin films into semiconductors with the application of low voltage--and 
developed new electronic and optical switches, including Ovonic Phase 
Change Memory and the Threshold Switch. These became the basis for the 
invention of rewritable CDs and DVDs, as well as the cognitive 
computer. Mr. Ovshinsky's work also revolutionized the construction of 
solar panels and resulted in the nickel-metal hydride battery, which 
became an important power source for electric vehicles, consumer 
electronics, industrial equipment, and telecommunications.
  Time Magazine celebrated Mr. Ovshinsky as a ``Hero for the Planet''

[[Page S3454]]

in 1991. In 2006, The Economist recognized him as the ``Edison of our 
age.'' At the time of his death in 2012, he was credited on more than 
300 publications and had received over 20 major awards and honorary 
degrees. Throughout his life, however, Mr. Ovshinsky displayed as much 
vigor for fighting for justice outside his laboratory as within. His 
efforts contributed to the introduction of affordable housing in his 
affluent neighborhood in Birmingham, MI, and he was a proud member of 
the Mechanist's Union, as well as an early supporter of Walter P. 
Reuther and the United Auto Workers. It is an honor to recognize 
someone whose work not only helped usher the world into the modern age, 
but was also based in a belief that each of us has a responsibility to 
serve our community and leave the world a better place for generations 
to come.

                          ____________________