7/2/96
CONTACT: Stanford University News Service (650) 723-2558
STANFORD -- Arthur L. Schawlow, professor emeritus of physics and co-inventor of the laser, was one of seven people inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame on June 28.
Nobel laureate Schawlow was honored for his contributions to the development of the laser, which has become "an invaluable tool in communications, industry, medicine, military operations and scientific research."
The announcement was made via satellite hookup between the Stanford Medical School and the Hall of Fame, which is located in Akron, Ohio. The new inductees will be formally honored at a ceremony Sept. 21.
Inventors are chosen by a selection committee made up of representatives from 40 national scientific and technical organizations. Each year, the members vote to select the most qualified inventors from nominations submitted by the general public. The nominee's invention must be covered by a U.S. patent, and the extent to which it contributes to the nation's welfare and promotes the progress of science and useful arts is weighed by the judges.
This year's inductees join 120 other inventors in the Hall of Fame, which was established in 1973. The group includes several people with Stanford connections: Carl Djerassi, professor of chemistry; the late William Shockley, professor of engineering science; and prominent graduates Charles Stark Draper, William Hewlett and Theodore Maiman.
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