[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 137 (Tuesday, September 22, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1333-E1334]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     FLORIDA INVENTORS HALL OF FAME

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GUS M. BILIRAKIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 22, 2015

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 13 inventors 
who have been recognized as the Inductees of the Florida Inventors Hall 
of Fame since its founding. In order to be named as an Inductee, these 
men and women were nominated by their peers and have undergone the 
scrutiny of the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame Selection Committee. 
Each of their innovations is deemed to have made a significant impact 
on quality of life, economic development, and welfare of society for 
the citizens of Florida and the United States.
  The Florida Inventors Hall of Fame was founded in 2013 by Paul R. 
Sanberg, Senior Vice President for Research, Innovation and Economic 
Development, and Judy Genshaft, President, at the University of South 
Florida. It was recognized by the Florida Senate with Senate Resolution 
1756, adopted at the request of Florida Senator Jeff Brandes (22nd 
district), on April 30, 2014. By commending the incredible scientific 
work that has been, and continues to be, accomplished in Florida by its 
citizens, the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame's mission is to encourage 
individuals of all ages and backgrounds to strive toward the betterment 
of Florida and society through continuous, groundbreaking innovation.
  Nomination to the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame is open to all 
Florida inventors (living or dead) who are, or who have been, residents 
of Florida and whose connection to the State has informed their 
inventive work. The nominee must be a named inventor on a patent issued 
by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The impact of the 
inventor and

[[Page E1334]]

his or her invention should be significant to society as a whole, and 
the invention should have been commercialized, utilized, or led to 
important innovations.
  The 2014 Inductees of the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame are: Thomas 
Edison (1847-1931), the most prolific inventor in U.S. history and 
longtime resident of Fort Myers; Robert Cade (1927-2007), University of 
Florida professor, who developed the hydrating sports drink Gatorade, 
Gainesville; William Glenn (1926-2013), Florida Atlantic University 
professor, who invented the high-definition camera for NASA, Boca 
Raton; John Gorrie (1803-1855), physician and the father of 
refrigeration and air conditioning, Apalachicola; Shyam Mohapatra, 
University of South Florida professor and pioneer of applied biomedical 
nanotechnology, Tampa; and Shin-Tson Wu, University of Central Florida 
professor, whose liquid crystal research has impacted display 
technology worldwide, Orlando.
  The 2015 Inductees of the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame are: Henry 
Ford (1863-1947), automotive technology pioneer and Fort Myers 
resident, who advanced industrial manufacturing and contributed to 
experimental botanical research; Robert Howard Grubbs, University of 
Florida graduate, professor at the California Institute of Technology, 
and recipient of the 2005 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, whose contributions 
led to new materials in medicine and plastics, Gainesville; Robert 
Holton, Florida State University professor, who invented the chemical 
synthesis of Taxol, a widely utilized and highly effective anti-cancer 
drug, Tallahassee; Jerry Pratt, scientist at the Florida Institute for 
Human and Machine Cognition, for his revolutionary work in walking 
robotics, Pensacola; Paul R. Sanberg, professor, and Senior Vice 
President for Research, Innovation and Economic Development at the 
University of South Florida, for discovery of novel approaches to drug 
and cell therapies to treat stroke, brain injuries and diseases, and 
for founding the National Academy of Inventors, Tampa; Nan-Yao Su, 
University of Florida professor, who invented Sentricon ', 
which revolutionized termite control, Gainesville and Fort Lauderdale; 
and Janet Yamamoto, University of Florida professor, who discovered the 
deadly feline immunodeficiency virus (FlV), created the FIV vaccine, 
and furthered research on HIV, Gainesville.
  The contributions made to society through innovation and invention 
are significant and life changing. I commend these individuals and the 
organizations and institutions that have supported them for the work 
they have done to benefit the world in which we live. In contemplating 
the work of these inventors, may future generations be encouraged to 
strive to emulate these honorees and their dedication to the ideal of 
innovation.

                          ____________________