Presidential Engagement with Science and Technology
February 12th, 2009Posted by: admin
While Presidents usually show their support for science and technology through lines in the budget, some have notably been more directly engaged with science and/or technology.
Question: Which President is the only one to hold a patent?
Answer is after the jump, but two hints:
It’s probably not who you think
Think temporally
Abraham Lincoln was issued a patent for a device to help boats over shoals. Based in part on his experiences with shoals (or sandbars), the device was granted a patent in 1849. Lincoln is well known for many other things, but on his 200th birthday, I want to note a couple of his other accomplishments with science and technology.
The National Academies: Lincoln signed the charter for the National Academy of Sciences in 1863.
Use of technology: Thomas Wheeler has an interesting book on Lincoln’s engagement with technology during the Civil War, titled Mr. Lincoln’s T-Mails. Wheeler focuses on how Lincoln used the telegraph – a very new technology at the time – to help conduct the war, but Lincoln’s interest in new technology included the changes in ordnance, ships and tactics that emerged during the same period.
So, among Presidents, Jefferson was a prolific tinkerer and gardener, and both Hoover and Carter were engineers. But Lincoln should also be noted for his involvement with science and technology.
February 12th, 2009 at 11:04 pm
With Hoover and Carter ascending to the office from their discipline, I’ve always felt that engineers made bad presidents. Now, with the knowledge of Lincoln’s patent, it would seem that he has redeemed the profession somewhat.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:09 am
To confound the issue, Lincoln’s formal education is nearly non-existent. I do not know if he could have been certified as an engineer under the requirements of the mid 19th century. Arguably he practiced engineering but was not a member of the profession.
There’s also an open question whether or not his invention was effective, because it was never built full size. We only have the patent model (once required for all patents).
February 13th, 2009 at 6:36 am
Lincoln was a lawyer.
February 15th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
It probably doesn’t pay to worry about occupational background in the 19th century, especially the first half when Lincoln was growing up.
Formal education in a field isn’t necessary to get a patent, even one that is effective.
James Eads had no formal engineering education but his bridge hasn’t fallen down yet and his approach to keeping the Mississippi’s mouth open to navigation is still in use. He also acquired about 50 patents.
June 27th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
[...] by David Bruggeman on June 27, 2009 Both men held patents. You can read about Lincoln’s patent to help lift riverboats off shoals from an earlier [...]