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The National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) is an American not-for-profit organization dedicated to inventors and their inventions. Founded in 1973, its primary mission is to "honor the women and men responsible for the great technological advances that make human, social and economic progress possible." Besides the Hall of Fame, it also operates a museum in Alexandria, Virginia and a middle school in Akron, Ohio, and sponsors educational programs, a collegiate competition, and special projects all over the United States to encourage creativity among students.〔(“National Inventors Hall of Fame” ), ''Ohio History Central''. Retrieved 17 February 2013.〕 , 516 inventors are enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Every February a class of inductees is chosen by the National Selection Committee and the Blue Ribbon Panel. To qualify, the inventor must have had a U.S. patent that has improved the welfare of humanity and promoted the progress of science and technology. == History == The National Inventors Hall of Fame was founded in 1973 on the initiative of H. Hume Mathews, then the chairman of the National Council of Patent Law Associations (now the National Council of Intellectual Property Law Associations).〔(“Origin and Presidents of the National Inventors Hall of Fame” ), ''The National Inventors Hall of Fame'', Invent.org, archived 4 February 2002. Retrieved 18 February 2013.〕 In the following year, it gained a major sponsor in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office from Washington, D.C.〔( “National Inventors Hall of Fame” ), ''The Inventors’ Journal'', Vol. 1, No. 1 (9 November 1974), p. 2, col. 1. (PDF)〕 At first, the Hall was housed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Washington, D.C., near the Washington National Airport but it soon needed more room at a more prominent location. A committee was formed in 1986 to find a new home for it. For a time, the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was the frontrunner. But in 1987, a patent attorney from Akron, Edwin “Ned” Oldham, the representative from the National Council of Patent Law Associations, led the drive to move the Hall to Akron. The construction of the new building was finished in 1995 and the Hall opened to the public with the name of the Inventure Place.〔Amy Gamerman, “A cooperstown for gadgeteers and tinkerers”, ''The Wall Street Journal'', Thursday, 17 August 1995, p. A9.〕 From the beginning, the Inventure Place was intended to be more than a science and technology museum and library. It was designed to double as an inventor’s workshop and a national resource center for creativity. Designed by an architect from New York City, James Stewart Polshek, it was a stainless-steel building, shaped like a curving row of white sails, with five tiers of exhibits. One of the exhibits allowed the visitors to use computer programs for making animations and mechanisms for running laser-light shows.〔Anonymous, ( “Inventors Hall of Fame opens in Akron, Ohio” ), ''The New York Times'', Sunday, 30 July 1995, section 5, p. 3.〕 But attendance did not meet the expectations and the museum never made a profit, although its related ventures and programs, such as Invent Now and Camp Invention, proved to be more successful. In 2002, its name was changed to the National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum. Six years later the Hall moved to Alexandria. Its former facility was converted to a magnet school for students in grades between 5th and 8th. It is now the NIHF STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Learning Center, a middle school for the Akron Public Schools.〔Carol Biliczky, “Officials OK plans for ailing museum: National Inventors Hall of Fame will remain in operation, but will be resource for new school, undergo other changes”, ''Akron Beacon Journal'' (Akron, Ohio, USA), Saturday, 17 May 2008; in: Newspaper Source Plus, ''EBSCOhost'' (Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA). Retrieved 17 February 2013.〕〔Carol Biliczky, (“Akron reinventing hall of fame's role” ), '' Tuesday, 17 June 2008, ''Akron Beacon Journal Online'', Ohio.com.〕〔( “Inventors Hall of Fame No Perpetual Motion Machine” ), ''Trunkations'', 22 June 2008, RoadsideAmerica.com.〕〔(“National Inventors Hall of Fame® School ... Center for STEM Learning” ), ''Akron Public Schools'', AkronSchools.com.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「National Inventors Hall of Fame」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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