New Jersey-2014-S2771-Introduced

An Act designating Thomas Alva Edison as New Jersey State Inventor, and supplementing chapter 9A of Title 52 of Revised Statutes.

Whereas, Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman, who spent more than 50 years of his life residing and inventing in the State of New Jersey; and

Whereas, Mr. Edison first moved to New Jersey in 1870, establishing a facility in Newark, New Jersey, and developing numerous inventions, such as the electric pen, an early version of the copy machine, and most importantly the quadruplex telegraph, which allowed the transmission of multiple messages on the same telegraph wire; and

Whereas, Mr. Edison used funds from the sale of the quadruplex telegraph to relocate his operations to Menlo Park, New Jersey, where he would establish a full-scale industrial research laboratory and create one of his most famous inventions, the phonograph; and

Whereas, Mr. Edison continued to experiment with new technology and created one of the first commercially viable incandescent light bulbs; and

Whereas, Mr. Edison demonstrated his incandescent light bulb by making Christie Street in Menlo Park the first street ever to be lit by incandescent light on New Year's Eve, 1879; and

Whereas, The following year, Mr. Edison established the Edison Electric Light Company and was commissioned to install the brass chandelier with 66 light bulbs that hangs in the General Assembly Chamber of the New Jersey State House; and

Whereas, Mr. Edison's famous inventions and laboratory achieved global recognition, eventually earning him the title of "The Wizard of Menlo Park" and attracting visitors from all over the world to Menlo Park; and

Whereas, Mr. Edison would eventually leave Menlo Park and move into a much larger facility in West Orange, New Jersey, where he spent the remaining 44 years of his life improving his earlier inventions and creating new inventions, such as the motion picture camera and a suitable storage battery that could power an electric car; and

Whereas, During Mr. Edison's career, he was awarded 1,093 United States patents, 400 of them while living in Menlo Park, New Jersey; and

Whereas, When Mr. Edison passed away from complications of diabetes at the age of 84, on October 18, 1931, many communities and corporations throughout the world commemorated his passing by briefly dimming their lights; and

Whereas, Since Mr. Edison's death, the State and its residents have dedicated memorials, which include the Edison Memorial Tower in Menlo Park, the Menlo Park Laboratory Tablet and Memorial, Thomas Edison State College in Trenton, and Edison Township in Middlesex County, in honor and remembrance of Mr. Edison for his accomplishments and contributions to the State of New Jersey, the nation, and the world; now, therefore,

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Thomas Alva Edison is designated as New Jersey State Inventor.

2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill designates Thomas Alva Edison as New Jersey State Inventor.

Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman, who spent more than 50 years of his life residing and inventing in the State of New Jersey. Mr. Edison first moved to New Jersey in 1870, establishing a facility in Newark, New Jersey, and developing numerous inventions, such as the electric pen, an early version of the copy machine, and most importantly the quadruplex telegraph, which allowed the transmission of multiple messages on the same telegraph wire.

Mr. Edison relocated his operations to Menlo Park, New Jersey, where he would establish a full-scale industrial research laboratory and create one of his most famous inventions, the phonograph. Mr. Edison continued to experiment with new technology and created one of the first commercially viable incandescent light bulbs. Mr. Edison demonstrated his incandescent light bulb by making Christie Street in Menlo Park the first street ever to be lit by incandescent light on New Year's Eve, 1879. Mr. Edison's famous inventions and laboratory achieved global recognition, eventually earning him the title of "The Wizard of Menlo Park" and attracting visitors from all over the world to Menlo Park.

Mr. Edison would eventually leave Menlo Park and move into a much larger facility in West Orange, New Jersey, where he would spend the remaining 44 years of his life improving his earlier inventions and creating new inventions, such as the motion picture camera and a suitable storage battery that could power an electric car. Since Mr. Edison's death, the State and its residents have dedicated memorials, which include the Edison Memorial Tower in Menlo Park, the Menlo Park Laboratory Tablet and Memorial, Thomas Edison State College in Trenton, and Edison Township in Middlesex County, in honor and remembrance of Mr. Edison for his accomplishments and contributions to the State of New Jersey, the nation, and the world.