The Wizard Of Menlo Park

The New York World of 1901 had many a name for him.

"Our Greatest Living American," 

"The Foremost Creative and Constructive Mind of This Country,"and "Our True National Genius."

Micky Rooney and Spencer Tracy both portrayed him in the movies.

Thomas Edison was well known and considered a genius by most that knew of him.  He had 1,093 patents to his name, and made way for many electricity based technologies long before the physics of electricity was understood.  His invention's list are as follows:

The Electric Light

The Dictating Machine

The Electrified Railroad

The Fluorescent Lamp

The Mimeograph Machine

 The Movie Camera

The Phonograph

Portland cement

Wax paper

It is said, however, that his greatest invention was the development of the modern research laboratory, and a research team. 

He was born in Ohio, 1847.  When he was just ten years old, he had a small chemical lab in his cellar and was working a home made telegraph.  He even worked a small job when he was twelve, but due to a fire caused by one of his experiments, he lost his job.  He was partially deaf, and was made fun of b his fell class mates.  His teacher then pronounced his mind as "addled," and because of this, he never finished grade school.  His mother took him out of school and educated him herself.  Years later, Edison said that being deaf had saved him from many distractions.

                                               

His first invention to make money was a "tickler tape to convey stock market prices to brokerage houses." (Digital History.) Edison became a millionaire in his forties.  He was devoted to his work.  With the exception of five minute naps, Edison worked 24 hours straight.  One of his famous quotes states:  

"Genius is one percent inspiration, and ninety-nine perspiration."  

Not everyone saw Edison as the genius he was, however.  In 1877, Thomas Edison announced his invention, the Phonograph.  A Yale University professor told the New York Sun that "the idea of a talking machine is ridiculous."

Contrary to popular belief, Edison did not invent the light bulb.  He found a way to make it durable and inexpensive. He promised to make light bulbs "so cheap, only the wealthy will be able to afford to burn candles."  He tested over 6,000 filaments to make it long lasting.  He employed over 200 laboratory assistants and machinists as his facilities in Menlo Park and West Orange, N.J.   In the mid 1910's, His West Orange factory had 10,000 employees.  He had a goal to have "a minor invention every ten days, and a big thing every six months or so."    He was the first inventor to have major corporations be willing to finance his inventions.  He formed links with Cornelius Vanderbilt (who owned Western Union and the telegraph company) and J.P. Morgan.

He make some mistakes, as all people do. He pushed for direct current when George Westinghouse pushed for alternating current.  He stuck with a battery powered electric car, when Henry Ford went out for a cheaper gas-powered vehicle.

Being the prankster he was known to be, he gave his children nicknames, Dash and Dot. He also proposed to his second wife in Morse Code.