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By Aaron Dalton
Lemelson Foundation. “We seek to elevate the stature of inventors Though less famous than Edison, Jerome Lemelson also had a
through public prizes, to show that society is validating and sup- successful career as an inventor, earning more than 600 patents.
porting innovation and thus encourage more inventors to come for- Lemelson and his family started a foundation to encourage innova-
ward. That’s why the program emphasizes recognition and mentor- tion and entrepreneurship. In the United States, the foundation has
ing in addition to financial assistance.” established centers for the study of innovation and created prizes
such as the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize, which “recognizes indi-
A aron Dalton is a New York-based journalist and photographer whose work has
appeared in Wired, PC Magazine, and Popular Mechanics. He also authors the blog viduals who translate their ideas into inventions and innovations
1GreenProduct, where he reviews eco-friendly goods and services. that improve the world,” according to MIT’s Web site.