General Electric Research Laboratory facts for kids
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General Electric Research Laboratory
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Schenectady, NY |
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| NRHP reference No. | 75001227 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 15, 1975 |
| Designated NHL | May 15, 1975 |
The General Electric Research Laboratory was the very first industrial research center in the United States. It started in 1900. This lab was where many important new technologies from General Electric were first created. It set a high standard for how companies would invent new things for many years.
Today, this lab has grown into GE Global Research. It now works on many different types of technology. This includes things like healthcare and transportation systems. GE Global Research has locations all over the world. The original campus in Schenectady, New York was named a National Historic Landmark in 1975. This means it's a very important place in American history.
Contents
Discovering the GE Research Lab
How the Lab Started
The GE Research Lab was founded in 1900. Its founders were Thomas Edison, Willis R. Whitney, and Charles Proteus Steinmetz. They wanted to create a place just for new discoveries. Elihu Thomson, one of the first members, said a big company like General Electric should always invest in new ideas. He believed there should be a lab to find new principles and use them in products.
Edwin W. Rice, a founding vice president, hoped the lab would find "many profitable fields." Whitney and the founders were inspired by German universities. In Germany, professors could research their own interests. This helped connect science with industry. Whitney used these ideas for the GE Research Lab.
The lab began when electricity was still new in America. General Electric became a leader in bringing electricity to homes and businesses. They also developed new technologies in many science fields. Willis Whitney and his assistant, Thomas Dempster, were key in developing electrical technology. The lab grew quickly. By 1906, it had 102 people, with many trained scientists. Whitney believed in exploring science to create new products. The lab gave researchers time and money for experiments. By 1930, the lab had over 400 chemists, physicists, and engineers.
Early Amazing Inventions
It took a few years for the lab to create completely new inventions. At first, they mostly improved existing ones. One of GE's first big projects was making the incandescent light bulb better. In 1908, engineer William David Coolidge invented the ductile tungsten light bulb filament. This made light bulbs stronger and last longer. This invention helped GE become a leader in the lighting market.
Later, GE scientists won two Nobel Prizes. In 1932, Irving Langmuir won the Nobel Prize in chemistry. He won for his work on how chemicals react on surfaces. This work helped him invent the gas-filled light bulb in 1916. Langmuir's new light bulb was a big change. By 1928, thanks to his invention, GE sold 96% of all incandescent lights in America. This new invention helped the lab achieve its goal of creating truly original ideas.
The Lab's Journey Continues
After the success of the light bulbs, General Electric expanded its research. They explored many different science and technology areas. They always aimed to create new products for people to buy and use. Throughout its history, the GE Research Laboratory has earned thousands of patents. These patents protect their new ideas and inventions. Their work has changed many industries and everyday products.
In 1999, the lab became GE Global Research. This happened after they opened a research center in Bangalore, India. GE later opened labs in other countries like China and Germany. However, in 2017, they closed some of these labs to save money. Now, the main research locations are in New York and India. GE has grown its research far beyond just lighting. They now work on appliances, aviation, energy, healthcare, and transportation. They have 3,000 employees. They continue to bring new ideas and technology to the world. This is the same goal Whitney and Steinmetz first had.
Important Discoveries and Inventions
The GE Research Lab has created many amazing things over the years:
- 1900: The GE Industrial Research Laboratory officially opens.
- 1902: The electric fan is invented.
- 1908: The tungsten light bulb filament is developed.
- 1910: The first electric hotpoint range (a type of stove) is made.
- 1916: The gas-filled light bulb is invented.
- 1918: A record-breaking water wheel generator is built at Niagara Falls.
- 1918: A radio system that could send messages across oceans is created.
- 1920: A portable x-ray machine is developed.
- 1921: The GE turbosupercharger engine helps an airplane fly to a record height.
- 1921: The magnetron vacuum tube is invented.
- 1927: The first television is brought into a home.
- 1941: The first U.S. Jet Engine is created.
- 1943: The first auto-pilot system for aircraft is developed.
- 1946: Cloud seeding, a way to make rain, is developed.
- 1949: The J47 jet engine is created. It became the most produced jet engine ever.
- 1962: The solid-state laser is invented.
- 1969: Key technologies for the first moon landing are developed.
- 1976: The Computed Tomography (CT) scanner is invented.
- 1983: The Signa Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system is created.
- 2002: Wind turbines become more popular for energy.
- 2003: The fuel-efficient Evolution Series locomotive engine is developed.
- 2007: The first 24-cylinder internal combustion engine is made.
Famous People Who Worked Here
Many brilliant minds have worked at the GE Research Lab:
- Frank Benford, an electrical engineer and physicist. He is known for discovering Benford's law.
- Alexander Stepanov, a computer scientist.
- Charles Coffin, a businessman and engineer.
- Charles Proteus Steinmetz, a mathematician and electrical engineer.
- David Musser, a computer scientist.
- Elihu Thomson, an engineer and inventor.
- Irving Langmuir, a Nobel Prize winner, chemist, and physicist.
- Ivar Giaever, a Nobel Prize winner and physicist.
- LeRoy Apker, a physicist who studied solid materials.
- George C. Baldwin, a physicist who worked on theories and experiments.
- Ralph Alpher, a cosmologist (someone who studies the universe).
- Thomas Edison, a famous inventor, scientist, and businessman.
- William David Coolidge, a physicist.
- Willis Rodney Whitney, a chemist.
- Peter T. Kirstein, a computer scientist.
