Science and Medicine

For two hundred years, Ohioans have been at the forefront of scientific and medical advances. During the 1830s and 1840s, Dr. William Awl convinced the Ohio legislature to establish a school for the blind and a hospital for the mentally ill. In 1921, the Cleveland Clinic, one of the nation's leading hospitals, was founded in Cleveland, Ohio. At the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, Ohio scientists and inventors played leading roles in the development of automobiles and airplanes, not to mention numerous other technologies and products. During World War II, Ohio scientists developed portions of the atomic bomb, which helped the United States of America defeat Japan. Thomas Alva Edison, the Wright brothers, and thousands more Ohioans have dramatically improved the lives of all people.

To learn more about Ohioans' contributions to science and medicine, please browse these entries at your leisure.

There are 251 entries matching this topic. They are listed below in alphabetical order.

1913 Ohio Statewide Flood: The Flood of 1913 is known as the greatest natural disaster in Ohio history. At least 428 people died during the Flood of 1913, and more than twenty thousand homes were totally destroyed. . . .
1978 Ohio Statewide Blizzard: In January and February 1978, a series of three storms hit the United States Midwest or the Northeast. These storms were some of the most severe winter events to occur in recent history, and collectively are known as the Blizzard of 1978. . . .
2008 Ohio Statewide Snowstorm: The statewide snowstorm of 2008 was a record setting event that occurred on Friday, March 7, and Saturday, March 8, 2008. While this event has been called the Blizzard of 2008, technically the storm did not have sustained winds of at least thirty-five miles per hour, a requirement of a blizzard. . . .
Academy of Medicine: Cincinnati physicians established the Academy of Medicine in 1857. It served as primarily a social and educational club for local physicians. . . .
Agriculture and Farming in Ohio: For all of Ohio's history, farming has been a major component of the state's economy. . . .
Ameripol: Ameripol made synthetic rubber production much more cost effective, helping Akron, Ohio, rubber companies, including B.F. Goodrich, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, and Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, to meet the country's needs during World War II (1941-1945). . . .
Apollo 11: Astronauts from NASA's Apollo 11 mission in 1969 were the first humans to walk on the Moon. . . .
Archaeology: Archaeology is the scientific study of the human past. Archaeologists investigate prehistoric cultures, but also historic and even modern cultures as well. . . .
Armstrong, Neil A.: Neil Alden Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930, in Wapakoneta, Ohio. His parents were Stephen and Viola Armstrong. Stephen Armstrong worked as an auditor for the state of Ohio. . . .
Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute: Since the late 1940s, Dr. Arthur G. James, a professor at The Ohio State University, dreamed of establishing a cancer hospital in Columbus, Ohio. At this point in time, there were no hospitals specializing in cancer treatment between the states of New York and Texas. . . .
Astronaut-Maneuvering Unit: Peter N. Van Schaik invented an Astronaut-Maneuvering Unit that allowed astronauts to maneuver in space outside of a space vehicle. . . .
Athens Asylum: The Ridges was formerly an asylum for the mentally ill in Athens, Ohio. . . .
Atomic Bomb: During World War II, scientists in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States worked to develop a bomb capable of ending the war swiftly. These scientists focused on nuclear fission as the means to create such a bomb. . . .
Atwater, Caleb: Caleb Atwater, one of Ohio's earliest historians and reformers, was born in North Adams, Massachusetts on Christmas day in 1778. He graduated from William's College in 1804 with a Master of Arts degree. . . .
Awl, William: In 1833, the Ohio legislature appointed Awl as the physician of the Ohio Penitentiary. Two years later, Awl helped organize the Ohio Medical Association. . . .
B.F. Goodrich Company: Benjamin Franklin Goodrich helped make Akron, Ohio, the "Rubber Capital of the World" during the late 1800s. He became involved in the rubber industry in 1869, becoming the largest stockholder in the Hudson River Rubber Company in New York. . . .
Baker Motor Vehicle Company: The Baker Motor Vehicle Company began producing electric-powered automobiles in Cleveland in 1899. Its founders were Walter C. Baker and Fred R. White, of the White Sewing Machine Company family. . . .
Balsley, John H.: John H. Balsley was inventior of the folding step ladder. . . .
Barber Match Company: By the late nineteenth century, the Barber Match Company, located in Barberton, Ohio, had become the largest manufacturer of matches in the United States of America. . . .
Barber, Ohio C.: Ohio Columbus Barber founded the Barber Match Company, an important Ohio business during the late nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. . . .
Barn Gang: During the early 1900s, Colonel Edward Deeds established the Barn Gang in Dayton, Ohio. Interested parties, including Charles F. Kettering, met on Deeds's property to discuss scientific and technological issues. . . .
Bateham, Michael B.: Michael B. Bateham was Ohio's second Secretary of Agriculture. The Secretary of Agriculture served as the head of the Ohio State Board of Agriculture. . . .
Battelle Memorial Institute: Battelle Memorial Institute was founded in 1923 with an endowment from the estate of Gordon Battelle. Located in Columbus, Ohio, the institute's mission is to develop practical applications for scientific research. . . .
Benadryl: Benadryl reduces the amount of Histamine in the human body, a chemical that causes allergy symptoms. . . .
Bicycles: Bicycles dramatically changed life in Ohio during the late nineteenth century. . . .
Big Ear Radio Observatory: Dr. John D. Kraus, a professor of electrical engineering and astronomy at The Ohio State University, designed the Big Ear Radio Telescope. . . .
Bolton, Frances P.: Francis Bolton was the first woman from Ohio elected to the United States House of Representatives. . . .
Bonham, Lazarus N.: Lazarus Noble Bonham was Ohio's eighth Secretary of Agriculture. The Secretary of Agriculture served as the head of the Ohio State Board of Agriculture. . . .
Brown, Waldo F.: Waldo F. Brown was a well-known American author and lecturer in the 1870's and 1880's. . . .
Brownouts: Brownouts occur when power plants fail to produce enough electricity to meet demand. . . .
Brush, Charles F.: Charles F. Brush was the inventor of the arc lamp. . . .
Buchtel College: Buchtel College was founded in Akron, Ohio, in 1870. The school was named after industrialist John Buchtel, who was a prominent figure in the community and was associated with the Universalist Church. . . .
Buck Fry: During the late 1970s, motorists in the United States faced a gasoline shortage. In response to this shortage, The Ohio State University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering developed a new fuel known as “Buck Fry” from dirty cooking oil from the university’s cafeterias. . . .
Burnet, Jacob: Jacob Burnet was a political leader in Ohio in the first half of the nineteenth century. . . .
Calvert, Thomas L.: Thomas Lawrence Calvert was Ohio's tenth Secretary of Agriculture. The Secretary of Agriculture served as the head of the Ohio State Board of Agriculture. . . .
Campbell, Alexander: Alexander Campbell was a physician, political leader and elected official in the early years of Ohio statehood. . . .
Carlson, Carl O.: Carl O. Carlson invented microfiche. . . .
Centigrade: A scale for measuring the temperature where there are 100 degrees between the freezing temperature of water and the boiling temperature of water. . . .
Chamberlain, William I.: William Isaac Chamberlain was Ohio's seventh Secretary of Agriculture. The Secretary of Agriculture served as the head of the Ohio State Board of Agriculture. . . .
Charch, William H.: William Hale Charch invented moisture-proof cellophane. . . .
Chemical Characteristics of Ohio Minerals: The chemical components of minerals are elements and elemental groups. An "element" is a distinct variety of matter, which by itself or in combination with other elements, make up substances of many kinds. . . .
Cholera Cemetery: The Cholera Cemetery is the site of a mass grave in Sandusky, Ohio where hundreds of victims of an 1849 cholera epidemic were buried. . . .
Cholera Epidemics: Beginning in the early 1830s, cholera epidemics killed thousands of United States citizens, including many Ohioans. . . .
Christensen, Martin F.: In 1902, Martin F. Christensen invented an automated machine that could manufacture glass marbles. . . .
Cincinnati Fire Department: On April 1, 1853, Cincinnati, Ohio, established the first professional and fully-paid fire department in the United States. . . .
Cleveland Clinic: Cleveland doctors George W. Crile, Frank E. Bunts, William E. Lower, and John Phillips founded the Cleveland Clinic Foundation on February 5, 1921. . . .
Cleveland Clinic Fire: A catastrophic fire at the Cleveland Clinic in 1929 impacted fire fighting practices and hospital procedures in Ohio and across the United States. . . .
Cleveland Hospital Service Association: Blue Cross & Blue Shield Mutual of Ohio has its roots in the Cleveland Hospital Service Association. John R. Mannix founded this earlier organization in Cleveland in 1934 to help people pay for the cost of hospital care. . . .
Clover, Philip K.: Philip K. Clover was born in 1843 in Columbus, Ohio. After a childhood on the family farm, Clover became an artist and an inventor. . . .
Colley, Russell: Russell Colley was a mechanical engineer and inventor who made major contributions to the American aircraft and aerospace industries. . . .
Continuous Hot Strip Mill: John Butler Tytus, Jr., invented a process to manufacture continuously rolling sheets of steel. This process, known as the continuous hot strip mill, reduced the manufacturing time and cost of sheet steel. . . .
Cox, Jacob D.: Jacob Dolson Cox served as Ohio governor from 1866 to 1868. . . .
Crash of the USS Shenandoah: During World War I, the United States military first observed Germany's use of zeppelins, a type of airship. Once the war ended, the United States Navy determined that it would build three rigid airships. These airships would not be used to fight in future wars but instead would be able to scout enemy positions. . . .
Cutler, Manasseh: Although he did not spend that much time in the state, Manasseh Cutler was a major figure in the settling of Ohio in the years after the American Revolution. . . .
Davis, Edwin: Edwin Davis was a physician and amateur archaeologist in Ohio in the mid-nineteenth century. He was born in 1811 in Chillicothe, Ohio. . . .
Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company: In 1909, Charles F. Kettering and Edward Deeds founded the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company, known as Delco, in Dayton, Ohio. . . .
Dayton Reliable Tool and Manufacturing Company, Inc.: In 1949, Ermal "Ernie" Fraze formed a machine tool business, the Dayton Reliable Tool Company, in Dayton, Ohio. . . .
Dayton Reliable Tool Company: In 1949, Ermal "Ernie" Fraze formed a machine tool business, the Dayton Reliable Tool Company, in Dayton, Ohio. . . .
Delco: In 1909, Charles F. Kettering and Edward Deeds founded the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company, known as Delco, in Dayton, Ohio. . . .
Dow Chemical Company: Herbert H. Dow founded the Dow Chemical Company in 1895 in Cleveland, Ohio. . . .
Dow, Herbert H.: Herbert H. Dow was a prominent scientist during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. . . .
Drake, Daniel: Daniel Drake played a major role in establishing the Medical College of Ohio, founded in 1819. He also helped create the Commercial Hospital and Lunatic Asylum for the State of Ohio in 1820. . . .
Dunlap, Renick W.: Renick William Dunlap was Ohio's thirteenth Secretary of Agriculture. The Secretary of Agriculture served as the head of the Ohio Board of Agriculture. . . .
Eagle Ironworks: In 1832, Miles Greenwood established the Eagle Ironworks on the banks of the Miami and Erie Canal in Cincinnati, Ohio. The foundry quickly became the largest in the Midwest. . . .
Edison, Thomas A.: Thomas Alva Edison was one of the greatest inventors of all of history. . . .
Edmont Manufacturing Company: In 1933, Edward Montgomery began experimenting with covering cotton gloves with vulcanized rubber. . . .
Electric Suction Sweeper Company: In 1908, James Murray Spangler founded the Electric Suction Sweeper Company -- predecessor of the Hoover Company -- in Canton, Ohio. . . .
Electricity: Ohioans were among the earliest and most prominent pioneers in the use of electricity. . . .
Engineers Club of Dayton: In 1914, Charles F. Kettering, founder of Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company, and Colonel Edward A. Deeds established the Engineers Club of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio. . . .
Ethyl Gasoline: Automobiles dramatically changed life in the United States with their invention in the late nineteenth century. . . .
Fahrenheit: A scale for measuring temperature that is most widely used in the United States. On the Fahrenheit scale, water freezes at 32 degrees (written 32˚F) and boils at 212 degrees (212˚F). . . .
Fergason, James L.: James L. Fergason is a prominent scientist and inventor. . . .
Fire Engine: On March 2, 1852, three Cincinnati, Ohio, residents, Abel Shawk, Alexander Bonner Latta, and Miles Greenwood, began construction of the world's first practical steam-powered fire engine. . . .
First Airplane Flight: The first successful flight of a powered airplane occurred at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903. The plane's designers were Dayton residents Orville and Wilbur Wright, who until that point had made a living by building bicycles. . . .
First Cross-Country Automobile Trip: Horatio Nelson Jackson made the first cross-country automobile trip in 1903, in a Winton automobile that was manufactured in Ohio. . . .
First Successful Cloud Seeding: W.D. Bancroft was the first man to seed clouds successfully. . . .
Fleming, James W.: James W. Fleming was Ohio's sixth Secretary of Agriculture. The Secretary of Agriculture served as the head of the Ohio State Board of Agriculture. . . .
Folded Paper Milk Carton: During the first decade of the 1900s, G. W. Maxwell developed the first paper milk carton. . . .
Fraze, Ermal: Ermal "Ernie" Fraze invented the pull-top beverage can. . . .
French Fry Bus: During the late 1970s, motorists in the United States faced a gasoline shortage. In response to this shortage, The Ohio State University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering developed a new fuel known as “Buck Fry” from dirty cooking oil from the university’s cafeterias. . . .
Friendship 7: In 1958, John Glenn became one of seven original astronauts chosen by the National Air and Space Administration for the first American space missions. . . .
Fulton, Mary: Mary Fulton was a missionary for the Presbyterian Church. She was born in Ashland, Ohio. . . .
Fulton, Robert: Robert Fulton created the first economically-viable, commercial steamboat. . . .
Gasmask: On October 13, 1914, Cleveland, Ohio, resident Garrett Augustus Morgan patented a gasmask. . . .
Gayman, Benjamin F.: Benjamin Franklin Gayman was Ohio's twelfth Secretary of Agriculture. The Secretary of Agriculture served as the head of the Ohio State Board of Agriculture. . . .
Geologist: A scientist who studies rocks, minerals and fossils. . . .
Golf Ball: On April 11, 1899, Coburn Haskell, a golfer from Cleveland, Ohio, and Bertram G. Work, an employee of the B.F. Goodrich Company in Akron, Ohio, received a patent for a golf ball. . . .
Goodrich, Benjamin F.: Benjamin Franklin Goodrich was a prominent businessman and founder of the the B.F. Goodrich Company. . . .
Goodyear Aerospace Corporation: In 1916, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company purchased land near Akron, Ohio, to build a plant that could produce zeppelin aircraft. In 1917, the main Goodyear Company created a subsidiary known as the Goodyear Zeppelin Company to manufacture the zeppelins. . . .
Goodyear Aircraft Corporation: In 1916, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company purchased land near Akron, Ohio, to build a plant that could produce zeppelin aircraft. In 1917, the main Goodyear Company created a subsidiary known as the Goodyear Zeppelin Company to manufacture the zeppelins. . . .
Goodyear Blimps: In 1916, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company purchased land near Akron, Ohio, to build a plant that could produce zeppelin aircraft. In 1917, the main Goodyear Company created a subsidiary known as the Goodyear Zeppelin Company to manufacture the zeppelins. . . .
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company: In 1898, Frank Seiberling established the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio. . . .
Goodyear Zeppelin Company: In 1916, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company purchased land near Akron, Ohio to build a plant that could produce zeppelin aircraft. In 1917, the main Goodyear Company created a subsidiary known as the Goodyear Zeppelin Company to manufacture the zeppelins. . . .
Grave-robbing: During the 1800s, medical schools routinely stole recently-buried cadavers to demonstrate medical procedures to their students. . . .
Gray, Elisha: Elisha Gray was an educator and inventor in nineteenth-century America. . . .
Green, Barrett K.: Barrett K. Green was a prominent twentieth-century scientist and inventor. . . .
Green, Perry L.: Perry L. Green was Ohio's third Director of Agriculture. The Director of Agriculture served as the head of the Ohio Department of Agriculture. . . .
Greenwood, Miles: Industrial innovator Miles Greenwood was born on March 19, 1807, in Jersey City, New Jersey. In 1817, he moved with his father to Ohio, settling near Cincinnati. . . .
Hall, Charles M.: Charles Martin Hall was born in Thompson, Ohio, on December 6, 1863. He spent much of his youth in Oberlin, Ohio. As a child, Hall was an avid reader. After reading his father's college chemistry textbook, Hall decided to become a chemist. . . .
Hallock, Robert L.: Robert Lay Hallock was a prominent nineteeth-century inventor. . . .
Halsey Taylor: In 1912, Halsey Taylor began producing the Puritan Sanitary Fountain in Warren, Ohio. . . .
Hamilton County: Hamilton County, Ohio, was established on January 2, 1790.. It was the second county formed in the Northwest Territory. Residents named the county in honor of Alexander Hamilton, who was the first Secretary of the Treasury of the United States and a founder of the Federalist Party. . . .
Harris, John: John Harris was a doctor in Bainbridge, Ohio, who specialized in dentistry. He moved from Cincinnati to Bainbridge during the mid 1820s, and in 1827, Harris began to teach students the basics of medicine to prepare them for medical school. . . .
Harvey, Elizabeth B.: Elizabeth Burgess Harvey was a Quaker and an abolitionist in Warren County, Ohio during the 1830s and 1840s. Along with her husband, Jesse Harvey, Elizabeth was also responsible for founding the community of Harveysburg, Ohio. . . .
Harvey, Jesse: Jesse Harvey was an abolitionist in Warren County, Ohio during the 1830s and 1840s. He was responsible for founding the community of Harveysburg, Ohio. . . .
Haskell Golf Ball Company: On April 11, 1899, Coburn Haskell, an avid golfer, and Bertram G. Work, an employee of the B.F. Goodrich Company in Akron, Ohio, received a patent for a golf ball. . . .
Haskell, Coburn: Coburn Haskell was the founder of the Haskell Golf Ball Co. and a co-inventor of the modern golf ball. . . .
Hayden, Gillette: Gillette Hayden was the third woman to graduate from Ohio State's dental school and eventually became nationally known as an expert in the treatment of periodontal diseases. . . .
Historic Period: Prehistory ended in what is today Ohio when French explorers and map makers began to obtain the first vague reports regarding the lands lying south of the southernmost of the Great Lakes that eventually became known as Lake Erie. . . .
Home Microwave Oven: In 1955, the Tappan Stove Company, which was located in Mansfield, Ohio, manufactured the first microwave oven for home use. . . .
Howell, Thomas N.: Thomas N. Howell developed an exploding shell that was buried underground above a coffin to deter grave-robbing. . . .
Ice Cream Cone: It remains unclear, but some historians claim that Canton, Ohio, residents Frank and Robert Menches invented the ice cream cone. . . .
Ice Cream Cone Machine: Carl R. Taylor, a resident of Cleveland, Ohio, attended the World's Fair in 1904. He became fascinated with ice cream and the ice cream cone. . . .
Incredible Creeping Golf Ball: On March 30, 1971, Cincinnati, Ohio, inventor Donald B. Poynter received a patent for his "Incredible Creeping Golf Ball." . . .
Influenza Epidemic of 1918: A deadly outbreak of Spanish Influenza, which reached epidemic proportions, spread from Europe to the United States and to Ohio in 1918. . . .
Ivory Soap: In the 1878, Procter & Gamble began to market a new soap product. This new soap was inexpensive but of a high quality. . . .
James M. Thomas Telephone Museum: The James M. Thomas Telephone Museum is located in Chillicothe, Ohio. The museum is located in the Horizon Chillicothe Telephone office building. . . .
Jenkins, Charles F.: Charles Francis Jenkins was a prominent inventor during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. . . .
Jones, Frederick M.: On May 17, 1893, Frederick McKinley Jones was an African American inventor with a large number of U.S. patents. He was born on May 17, 1893 in Cincinnati, Ohio. . . .
Kettering, Charles F.: Charles Franklin Kettering was born on a farm near Loudonville, Ohio, on August 29, 1876. He came from a poor background but still managed to obtain an education. Kettering graduated from The Ohio State University in 1904 with a degree in engineering. . . .
Kirtland, Jared: Jared Kirtland was born on November 10, 1793, in Wallingford, Connecticut. His father was a representative of the Connecticut Land Company and moved to Poland, Ohio, in 1803. . . .
Knock-down Table: In 1951, the Sauder Woodworking Company, located in Archbold, Ohio, created the "knock-down" table. This table was packaged flat in a box, and the consumer easily assembled it at home. This marked the beginning of ready-to-assemble furniture. . . .
Lambert, John W.: In 1890, John William Lambert, a resident of Ohio City, Ohio, built the first gasoline-powered single-cylinder automobile. . . .
Lamme, Benjamin: Benjamin Lamme was born on January 12, 1864, near Springfield, Ohio. He attended The Ohio State University, graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1888. After spending several months as a farmer, Lamme accepted a position with the Westinghouse Company in 1889. . . .
LCD: While working as the associate director of the Liquid Crystal Institute of Kent State University, in Kent, Ohio, James L. Fergason developed an improved liquid crystal display (LCD). . . .
Lewis Research Center: The NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field was originally known as the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was established in 1941, and its purpose was to develop and improve aircraft engines. . . .
Liquid Crystal Display: While working as the associate director of the Liquid Crystal Institute of Kent State University, in Kent, Ohio, James L. Fergason developed an improved liquid crystal display (LCD). . . .
Locke, John: John Locke was born on February 19, 1792, in Fryeburg, Massachusetts (now Maine). In 1819, Locke graduated from Yale Medical School and briefly served as an assistant surgeon in the United States Navy. . . .
M & R Dietetic Laboratories: In 1903, Harry C. Moores and Stanley M. Ross founded the Moores & Ross Milk Company in Columbus, Ohio. For the first twenty-two years of the companys existence, it focused on bottling milk for home delivery. . . .
M.F. Christensen and Son Company: In 1902, a resident of Akron, Ohio, Martin F. Christensen, invented an automated machine that could manufacture glass marbles. . . .
Manhattan Project: The Manhattan Project was the code name given to the efforts of the United States, Great Britain and Canada to develop the first atomic bomb during World War II. . . .
Marion Steam Shovel Company: The Marion Steam Shovel Company was founded in 1884 in Marion, Ohio. The company built steam shovels. . . .
Mather, William W.: William Williams Mather was Ohio's third Secretary of Agriculture. The Secretary of Agriculture served as the head of the Ohio State Board of Agriculture. . . .
Mauchly, John: John Mauchly was born on August 30, 1907, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He spent most of his youth in Chevy Chase, Maryland. In 1925, he enrolled as an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins University, receiving his undergraduate degree in just two years. . . .
McCook Field: Beginning in the 1910s, with World War I's outbreak, the United States government began investigating the use of airplanes in war. In 1913, President Woodrow Wilson created the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA). This committee suggested establishing a center to research the use of airplanes in the military and also to seek improvements in airplane technology. Due to the presence of several automobile and aircraft plants in Ohio, the NACA established this center at McCook Field in Dayton, Ohio. . . .
McCormick, Cyrus: Cyrus McCormick was born on February 15, 1809, near Lexington, Virginia. Hoping to reduce the workload on his farm, Robert McCormick, Cyrus's father, had tried to develop a mechanical harvester in the early nineteenth century. . . .
McVicker, Joseph: Joseph McVicker was born in 1929 to Irma McVicker and Cleo McVicker. With Cleo McVicker's death in 1949, Irma McVicker hired her son, Joseph, and her son-in-law, Bill Rhodenbaugh, to head Kutol Products Company, a Cincinnati, Ohio firm, formerly headed by Cleo, that produced soap and wallpaper cleaner. . . .
Medical College of Ohio: Daniel Drake founded the Medical College of Ohio in 1819 in Cincinnati. He also helped create the Commercial Hospital and Lunatic Asylum for the State of Ohio in 1820. . . .
Medicine Before the Civil War: Before the American Civil War, diseases ravaged people living in Ohio. Cholera, tuberculosis, and various agues and fevers were common occurrences. Farming and hunting accidents, as well as injuries received in battles with Native Americans and the British, also occurred. . . .
Menches Gourmet Burgers: It remains unclear, but some historians claim that Canton, Ohio, residents Frank and Robert Menches invented the hamburger. In 1885, these two brothers were selling pork sandwiches at the Erie Agricultural Fair in Hamburg, New York. . . .
Menches, Frank: Although its history remains unclear, some historians claim that Canton, Ohio, residents Frank and Robert Menches invented the hamburger. In 1885, these two brothers were selling pork sandwiches at the Erie Agricultural Fair in Hamburg, New York. . . .
Menches, Robert: Although its history remains unclear, some historians claim that Canton, Ohio, residents Frank and Robert Menches invented the hamburger. In 1885, these two brothers were selling pork sandwiches at the Erie Agricultural Fair in Hamburg, New York. . . .
Mendenhall, Thomas C.: Thomas Corwin Mendenhall was born on October 4, 1841, in Hanoverton, Ohio. In 1851, the Mendenhall family moved to Marlboro, Ohio, where Thomas enrolled in the Union school, the local high school. . . .
Merrick, Myra K.: Dr. Myra King Merrick was the first woman medical doctor in Ohio. She moved to Cleveland to set up her practice in 1852. . . .
Microencapsulation: On July 5, 1955, Dayton, Ohio, resident and National Cash Register Company employee Barrett K. Green received a patent for the process of microencapsulation. . . .
Microfiche: Carl O. Carlson invented microfiche. . . .
Miller, Dayton C.: Dayton Clarence Miller was a mathematician, physicist and educator in Cleveland, Ohio. . . .
Mills, Victor: Victor Mills was a prominent inventor who eventually became head of Procter & Gamble's Exploratory Development Division. . . .
Mohs Hardness Scale: A scale of standards against which a mineral is compared. A hardness scale is based on experimentation and observation using natural or man-made materials. . . .
Morgan, Garrett A.: Garrett Morgan was an inventor and businessman in Cleveland in the first half of the 20th Century. . . .
Motion Picture Projector: Some scholars credit Dayton, Ohio, native Charles Francis Jenkins and a colleague with inventing the motion picture projector. . . .
Movie Theater: Some scholars credit Dayton, Ohio, native Charles Francis Jenkins and a colleague with inventing the motion picture projector and the movie theater. . . .
Mr. Coffee: In 1968, Vincent Marotta, Sr., a Cleveland, Ohio, land acquisition and development company president, sought to develop a better home coffeemaker. . . .
NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field: The NASA John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field was originally known as the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was established in 1941, and its purpose was to develop and improve aircraft engines. . . .
National Inventors Hall of Fame: In 1973, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office and the National Council of Intellectual Property Law Associations established the National Inventors Hall of Fame. This organization constructed a museum in Akron, Ohio, which remains in operation today. . . .
Ohio Female Medical Education Society: The Ohio Female Medical Education Society was one of the first organizations in Ohio to encourage women to join the medical profession. . . .
Ohio Hospital for Epileptics: In 1890, the Ohio government established the Ohio Hospital for Epileptics in Gallipolis, Ohio. The hospital was the first of its kind in the United States and the largest institution dedicated to the care of epileptics. . . .
Ohio Institution for the Deaf and Dumb: In 1827, the Ohio legislature authorized the creation of the Ohio Institution for the Deaf and Dumb. The institution opened in 1829, in a rented house in Columbus, Ohio at the corner of Broad and High Streets. During the institution’s first year of existence, only one student enrolled. . . .
Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind: In 1837, the Ohio government established the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind. This institution was the predecessor of the Ohio State School for the Blind. It was the first public school for the blind in the United States. . . .
Ohio Lunatic Asylum: In 1837, the Ohio legislature established the Ohio Lunatic Asylum in Columbus, Ohio. . . .
Ohio State Board of Health: During Ohio Governor Joseph Foraker's administration, the state government created the Ohio State Board of Health. This government bureaucracy's primary mission was to limit the spread of diseases throughout the state. . . .
Ohio State Medical Association: The Ohio Medical Association was established in 1835. . . .
Ohio's Geologic Periods: The oldest record of Ohio’s geologic history is preserved in igneous and metamorphic rocks of this period. These rocks lie deep beneath the surface of Ohio. . . .
Ohio's Geologic Timeline: Since the oldest sedimentary rocks in Ohio were deposited first, they lie below the youngest rocks. Therefore, if a layer of sedimentary rock lies on top of another layer of such rock, the top layer is younger than that beneath it. This holds true in Ohio EXCEPT in cases where a force has disturbed the layers after they were deposited. . . .
Ohio's Statewide Smoking Ban: On November 7, 2006, Ohio voters overwhelmingly endorsed State Issue 5, which banned smoking inside of all public places in Ohio, including all restaurants, bars, bowling alleys, and work places. Almost sixty percent of Ohio voters supported the measure, while forty percent opposed it. . . .
Owens Bottle Machine Company: Michael J. Owens founded the Owens Bottle Machine Company in Toledo, Ohio in 1903. . . .
Owens, Michael J.: Michael J. Owens was born on January 1, 1859, in Mason County, West Virginia. As a teenager, he went to work for a glass manufacturer in Newark, Ohio. . . .
Owens-Illinois, Inc.: In 1929, the Owens Bottle-Machine Company merged with Illinois Glass Company to form Owens-Illinois Glass Company. In 1965, the legal corporate name was changed to Owens-Illinois, Inc. . . .
Pampers: In 1959, Procter & Gamble, a Cincinnati, Ohio company, began to market Pampers, which were disposable diapers. . . .
Paper Bags: Fremont, Ohio, resident Charles Stilwell was a mechanical engineer. He dedicated his free time to manufacturing an improved paper bag. . . .
Parachute: The United States Air Corps established a parachute development center at McCook Field in Dayton, Ohio. This center began operation in 1918, the second year of American involvement in World War I. . . .
Paragon Tomato: Many horticulturalists attribute the modern tomato to Reynoldsburg, Ohio, resident Alexander W. Livingston. Livingston spent two decades breeding his "Paragon" tomato before succeeding in 1870. . . .
Peltier, Leslie C.: Ohioan, Leslie C. Peltier was a famous astronomer. . . .
Phantoscope: Some scholars credit Dayton, Ohio, native Charles Francis Jenkins and a colleague with inventing the motion picture projector. . . .
Play-Doh: In 1949, Irma McVicker hired her son, Joseph McVicker, and her son-in-law, Bill Rhodenbaugh, to head Kutol Products Company, a Cincinnati, Ohio, firm that produced soap and wallpaper cleaner. Joseph McVicker soon realized that Kutol Products' wallpaper cleaner also could be used as a pliable modeling clay. . . .
Plunkett, Roy J.: Roy J. Plunkett was born on June 26, 1910, in New Carlisle, Ohio. Plunkett received his bachelor's degree in chemistry from Manchester College in 1932 and his doctoral degree in chemistry from The Ohio State University in 1936. . . .
Poliomyelitis: Poliomyelitis (polio) is an illness caused by the poliovirus. It spreads when an infected person comes in contact with someone else or when a person comes into contact with the feces of an infected person. . . .
Polyvinyl Chloride: Polyvinyl chloride is a plastic that is better known as vinyl. It is also known by the acronym PVC. . . .
PVC: PVC is an acronym for polyvinyl chloride. . . .
Radio: In the 1920s, the new medium of radio reached millions of Americans for the first time. Some radio programs provided entertainment, while others presented current news. . . .
Radiovisors: Some scholars credit Dayton, Ohio, native Charles Francis Jenkins with inventing the first television set in the United States. . . .
Resnik, Judith: Astronaut Judith Resnik, the second American woman to travel to outer space, was a member of the crew who tragically died when the Challenger space shuttle exploded in 1986. . . .
Reynolds, Emma A.: Emma Ann Reynolds was the first African-American woman admitted to the Medical College of Chicago at Northwestern University. . . .
Richter Scale: In 1935, while working at the Seismological Laboratory, Charles Francis Richter, a former resident of Hamilton, Ohio, worked with Beno Gutenberg to develop a rating scale for earthquakes. . . .
Richter, Charles F.: Charles Francis Richter worked with Beno Gutenberg to develop a rating scale for earthquakes. . . .
Rieveschl, George: George Rieveschl was the inventor of Benadryl, an antihistamine used for allergy sufferers. . . .
Ritty's Incorruptible Cashier: With the assistance of his brother, James Ritty invented the first cash register. He patented his invention on November 4, 1879, and called it "Ritty's Incorruptible Cashier." . . .
Ritty, James: James Ritty, with the assistance of his brother, invented the first cash register. . . .
River Valley Schools' Cancer Scare: During the 1980s and 1990s, medical officials began observing an increased rate of cancer, especially leukemia, among students at Marion, Ohio's, River Valley Schools. . . .
Rodgers, Calbraith P.: Calbraith (usually reported as Galbraith) Perry Rodgers lived for several years in Dayton, Ohio. On September 27, 1911, Rodgers boarded his airplane, the Vin Fiz, and attempted to make the first transcontinental flight across North America. . . .
Rubber Industry: During the late nineteenth century, Ohio emerged as the leader of rubber production in the United States. Numerous rubber companies operated in or near Akron, Ohio, making this city the "Rubber Capital of the World." . . .
Sabin, Albert: Albert Sabin developed the first oral vaccine to prevent infection from the polio virus. . . .
Scopes Monkey Trial: The Scopes Monkey Trial was a nationally famous Tennessee court case that upheld a state law banning the teaching of evolution in public schools in that state in 1925. . . .
Self-Opening Sack: Fremont, Ohio, resident Charles Stilwell was a mechanical engineer. He dedicated his free time to manufacturing an improved paper bag. . . .
Semon, Waldo: Waldo Semon was a prominent twentieth-century scientist and inventor. . . .
Semple, William F.: Many historians credit William Finley Semple with receiving the first patent in the United States for chewing gum on December 28, 1869. This claim is false, as Toledo, Ohio, resident Amos Tyler patented chewing gum on July 27, 1869. . . .
Smith, Lucien B.: On June 25, 1867, Lucien B. Smith of Kent, Ohio, patented barbed wire. Shortly thereafter, several other inventors patented inventions for similar products, but Smith patented his first, allowing him to claim that he invented barbed wire. . . .
Smoke Less Ohio: On November 7, 2006, Ohio voters overwhelmingly endorsed State Issue 5, which banned smoking inside of all public places in Ohio, including all restaurants, bars, bowling alleys, and work places. Almost sixty percent of Ohio voters supported the measure, while forty percent opposed it. . . .
SmokeFreeOhio: On November 7, 2006, Ohio voters overwhelmingly endorsed State Issue 5, which banned smoking inside of all public places in Ohio, including all restaurants, bars, bowling alleys, and work places. Almost sixty percent of Ohio voters supported the measure, while forty percent opposed it. . . .
Spangler, James M.: While working as a janitor at a department store in Canton, Ohio, James Murray Spangler invented a portable electric vacuum cleaner. . . .
Specific Gravity: The ratio of the weight of a substance to the weight of an equal volume of distilled water at 4 degrees Centigrade. Water at that temperature has a specific gravity of 1. If the specific gravity of the other substance is greater than 1 it floats in water; if less than 1 it sinks. . . .
Sphalerite (Zinc Sulfide): Generally found as small, brown to reddish-brown crystals in Silurian dolomites in southern Ohio in the Serpent Mound zinc district. This mineral is also found in concretions in the Devonian-age Ohio Shale. . . .
Spirit of Columbus: The Spirit of Columbus was the first plane piloted by a woman to fly around the world. . . .
Sprague, George: George Sprague was Ohio's fourth Secretary of Agriculture. The Secretary of Agriculture served as the head of the Ohio State Board of Agriculture. . . .
Squier, Ephraim: Ephraim Squier was a newspaper editor and amateur archaeologist in Ohio in the mid-nineteenth century. Squier was born in 1821. He worked in both New York and Connecticut as a newspaper reporter before settling in Ohio in the mid 1840s. . . .
Steamboats: Steamboats revolutionized river travel during the first half of the nineteenth century. Although early Ohioans used the Ohio River to transport agricultural goods and manufactured products even prior to the invention of the steamboat, certainly their advent made travel easier. . . .
Steering Wheel: Alexander Winton became famous for his innovations in automotive design, ultimately registering more than one hundred patents. He is credited with building the first car with a steering wheel. . . .
Step Ladder: While step ladders had existed for several years, on January 7, 1862, Dayton, Ohio, resident John H. Balsley received the first patent in the United States of America for such a device. . . .
Stethoscope: On December 16, 1851, Cincinnati, Ohio, doctor Nathan B. Marsh received a patent for his version of the stethoscope. . . .
Stevens, Harry M.: Harry Mosley Stevens was the inventor of the hotdog. . . .
Stibitz, George R.: George R. Stibitz is considered to be the father of the modern computer. . . .
Stilwell, Charles: On June 12, 1883, the U.S. Patent Office granted Charles Stilwell a patent for a machine that manufactured a square-bottom bag with pleated sides. . . .
Streak: The color of the powder of a mineral. If the mineral’s hardness is less than 7, the powder can be obtained by rubbing a piece of the mineral across an unglazed, unpolished porcelain surface. (Plumbers often can supply unglazed porcelain tiles.) If the mineral has a hardness of 7 or greater, then it probably will be necessary to scratch a small part of the specimen’s surface with a sharp instrument that has an equal or greater hardness. . . .
Sullivant, William S.: William Starling Sullivant was a surveyor and prominent naturalist during the mid-nineteenth century. . . .
Synthetic Rubber: During World War II, the United States experienced a rubber shortage. While the United States had access to naturally occurring rubber in Africa and Central and South America, most rubber imported to the United States came from Asia. . . .
Taylor, Carl R.: Carl R. Taylor, a resident of Cleveland, Ohio, attended the World's Fair in 1904. He became fascinated with ice cream and the ice cream cone. He returned to Cleveland and spent the next twenty years developing a machine that could manufacture ice cream cones much more cheaply and quickly than the Menches brothers' process. . . .
Taylor, Halsey W.: Halsey W. Taylor invented the non-squirting drinking fountain. . . .
Taylor, Lucy H.: Lucy Hobbs Taylor was the first woman in the world to receive a doctorate in dentistry. . . .
Teflon: Teflon is a DuPont trademark for a material used as a coating on cooking utensils and in industrial applications to prevent sticking. . . .
Television: In the 1950s, the new medium of television reached millions of Americans for the first time. Some television programs provided entertainment, while others presented current news. . . .
Television Sets: Many scholars credit Dayton, Ohio, native Charles Francis Jenkins for inventing the first television set in the United States. British inventor John Logie Baird managed to broadcast images on a television a few months before Jenkins managed to complete the same task. . . .
The Ridges: The Ridges was formally an asylum for the mentally ill in Athens, Ohio. . . .
Thomas, James M.: James M. Thomas, a resident of Chillicothe, Ohio, was the first president of the United States Independent Telephone Association. . . .
Thomas, Nathan M.: Nathan M. Thomas was a physician and abolitionist who spent his youth in Ohio. . . .
Tuberculosis: Throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, tuberculosis was a disease that affected many Americans. Rapid urbanization had created poor living conditions for people who lived in American cities. Many cities had limited sanitation services, and apartment buildings, commonly known as tenements, had poor ventilation. . . .
Tuppins, Isaiah: Isaiah Tuppins was the first African American to serve as a mayor in Ohio. He also was the first black man to earn his medical degree in Ohio. . . .
Tyler, Amos: On July 27, 1869, Amos Tyler received the first patent in the United States for chewing gum. . . .
Tytus Jr., John B.: John Butler Tytus, Jr., invented a process to manufacture continuously rolling sheets of steel. This process reduced the manufacturing time and cost of sheet steel. . . .
Van Schaik, Peter N.: Peter N. Van Schaik invented a propulsion backpack that allowed astronauts to maneuver in space outside of a space vehicle. . . .
Vin Fiz: On September 27, 1911, Calbraith (usually reported as Galbraith) Perry Rodgers boarded his airplane, the Vin Fiz, and attempted to make the first transcontinental flight across North America. . . .
Vinyl: Vinyl is a type of plastic. Its scientific name is polyvinyl chloride. It is also known by the acronym PVC. First discovered in 1835, it took scientists over ninety years to find a use for this material. . . .
Volwiler, Ernest H.: Ernest H. Volwiler invented Pentothal, an anesthetic used in surgery. . . .
Whirligig: The toy that is now known as the Yo-Yo originally was known as the whirligig in the United States. The toy has probably existed for more than one thousand years. . . .
White Motor Company: Thomas H. White established the White Sewing Machine Company in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1876. The company was very successful in the late nineteenth century, ultimately becoming one of the most prosperous and well-known sewing machine manufacturers in the United States. Whites sons joined his business, and in 1901, the family decided to start building automobiles as well. . . .
White, Jackie: Jackie White, a former resident of Cleveland, Ohio, was the first African American to work as a referee at a National Basketball Association (NBA) game. . . .
Whittlesey, Charles: Charles Whittlesey was a prominent soldier, attorney and scholar in nineteenth century Ohio. . . .
Winton, Alexander: Alexander Winton immigrated to the United States from Scotland in 1878. He was only twenty-two years old when he settled in Cleveland, Ohio, and began to manufacturer bicycles at the Winton Bicycle Company. . . .
WLW: Beginning in the 1920s, Cincinnati businessman Powel Crosley, Jr., ventured into radio broadcasting, establishing WLW, a Cincinnati radio station. . . .
Wonders, J.C.: J.C. Wonders is often referred to as the father of concrete paving because of his decision to pave the street surrounding the courthouse square in Bellefontaine, Ohio with Portland cement concrete, in 1891. . . .
Woods, Granville T.: Granville T. Woods was an African-American inventor and was born on April 23, 1856, in Columbus, Ohio. . . .
Working Home for the Blind: In 1886, the Ohio General Assembly established the Working Home for the Blind in Iberia, Ohio. . . .
World's First Automobile Accident: The world's first automobile accident occurred in Ohio City, Ohio in 1891. . . .
World's First Doctor to Make House Calls in an Automobile: Dr. Carlos C. Booth commissioned the Fredonia Carriage and Manufacturing Company to build an automobile that Booth had designed. The company completed Booth's car, and the doctor proceeded to use the automobile to make house calls in Youngstown. . . .
World's First Emergency Parachute Jump: The first emergency parachute jump took place at McCook Field in Dayton, Ohio. On October 20, 1922, Lieutenant Harold R. Harris, Chief of the Flying Section of McCook Field, had to jump from his plane after his control stick malfunctioned and forced Harris's plane to enter a nosedive. . . .
Wright Field: Wright Field, later renamed Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, was an early Army Air Corps facility that near Dayton, Ohio that opened in 1927. . . .
Wright, Orville: Aviator Orville Wright was born on August 19, 1871, in Dayton, Ohio. His parents were Bishop Milton Wright and Susan Catharine Wright. Orville Wright was the Wrights' fourth child. He attended the local public schools with his siblings but never graduated from high school or attended college. . . .
Wright, Wilbur: Aviator Wilbur Wright was born on April 16, 1867, in Millville, Indiana. His parents were Bishop Milton Wright and Susan Catharine Wright. Wilbur Wright was the third of the Wrights' four children. When Wright was only a child, the family moved to Dayton, Ohio. He attended the local public schools with his siblings but never graduated from high school or attended college. . . .
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base: Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a major United States Air Force facility located near Dayton, Ohio, in Greene and Montgomery counties. . . .
Xenia Tornado of 1974: On April 3, 1974, an F5 category tornado struck Xenia, Ohio. The tornado that struck Xenia was just one of at least 148 tornados that occurred in the South and Midwest in a twenty-four period. This was the worst outbreak of tornados recorded in the twentieth century. . . .
Yo-Yo: The toy that is now known as the Yo-Yo has probably existed for more than one thousand years. . . .
Zeppelins: Zeppelins were a type of airship, named for and invented by Ferdinand von Zeppelin. They are also known as blimps, airships, and dirigibles. These vessels used heated air to become airborne. . . .