General Electric research laboratory - wikipedia General Electric research laboratory General Electric Research Laboratory U.S. National Register of Historic Places U.S. National Historic Landmark Show map of New York Show map of the US Show all Location Schenectady, NY Coordinates 42 ° 48 ′ 38.78 '' N 73 ° 57 ′ 5.67 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 42.8107722 ° N 73.9515750 ° W ﻿ / 42.8107722 ; - 73.9515750 Coordinates : 42 ° 48 ′ 38.78 '' N 73 ° 57 ′ 5.67 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 42.8107722 ° N 73.9515750 ° W ﻿ / 42.8107722 ; - 73.9515750 NRHP reference # 75001227 Significant dates Added to NRHP May 15, 1975 Designated NHL May 15, 1975 General Electric Research Laboratory was the first industrial research facility in the United States. Established in 1900, the lab was home to the early technological breakthroughs of General Electric and created a research and development environment that set the standard for industrial innovation for years to come. It developed into GE Global Research that now covers an array of technological research, ranging from healthcare to transportation systems, at multiple locations throughout the world. Its campus in Schenectady, New York was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1975. Contents 1 History 1.1 Founding 1.2 Early success 1.3 Later history 2 Notable historic innovations 3 Notable employees 4 See also 5 References History Founding Founded in 1900 by Thomas Edison, Willis R. Whitney, and Charles Steinmetz, this lab defined industrial research for years to come. Elihu Thomson, one of the founding members of the laboratory, summed up the goal of the lab saying, `` It does seem to me therefore that a Company as large as the General Electric Company, should not fail to continue investing and developing in new fields : there should, in fact, be a research laboratory for commercial applications of new principles, and even for the discovery of those principles. '' Furthermore, Edwin W. Rice, founding vice president, said they wanted to `` establish a laboratory to be devoted exclusively to original research. It is hoped by this means that many profitable fields may be discovered. '' Whitney and the founders of the research lab took many of their lab ideals from a German university model. German universities allowed professors to research and experiment with their own interests to seek further knowledge without having commercial or economic interests in mind. Other German scientists also researched exclusively with business in mind. But, these two views contributed to a successful relationship between science and industry. It was this success that influenced Whitney in his vision for the GE Research Lab. The laboratory began at a time when the American electrification process was in its infant stage. General Electric became the leader of this move toward electrifying the United States and developing new technologies for many other science and technology fields. Willis Whitney and his assistant, Thomas Dempster, were the key researchers in developing the electrical technology that allowed the laboratory to continue to grow. The lab grew from 8 people to 102 people by 1906, which included scientifically trained researchers that made up 40 % of the staff. Whitney believed in exploratory scientific research, with the goal of creating new commercial products. These two goals appealed to General Electric. For researchers, the lab provided time and money for experimentation, research, and personal interests without putting a high demand on developing theories or teaching. Nearly 30 years after its founding, the laboratory had expanded the staff to more than 400 chemists, physicists, and electrical engineers, plus their assistants. Early success It took several years for the lab to follow through with the vision to create all original innovations, instead of improving on the inventions already in place. GE 's earliest project was perfecting the incandescent light bulb. In 1908, engineer and new head researcher William Coolidge invented the ductile tungsten light bulb filament, providing a more durable and long - lasting light filament than the existing technology. `` The invention secured GE 's technological leadership in the market and epitomized the role of the GE research lab -- bringing innovation to the marketplace. '' But, that work was still an improvement on existing technology and nothing entirely new. In the coming years, GE scientists earned two Nobel Prizes in chemistry and physics. In 1932, Irving Langmuir won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work on surface chemical reactions which helped him develop the gas - filled light bulb in 1916. After patenting many inventions, Langmuir developed his new light bulb which reinvented lights altogether. By 1928, due to Langmuir 's innovation, GE held 96 % of incandescent light sales in America. That entirely new invention set GE on a path to follow through with Whitney and Rice 's vision for the lab. Later history Starting with the success of the incandescent and gas - filled light bulbs, General Electric expanded its research to a range of technological and scientific fields. It strove for commercial goals in any innovation they achieved. Throughout its history, the General Electric Research Laboratory has earned thousands of patents for innovative technology, redefining industries and commercial products. In 1999, the laboratory became GE Global Research after opening a research center in Bangalore, India. GE now has research laboratories in New York, Oklahoma, India, China, Germany, and Brazil, all of which make up GE 's push for global innovation. GE has expanded its research beyond lighting to appliances, aviation, electrical distribution, energy, healthcare, media & entertainment, oil & gas, transportation, and water, along with numerous other fields. They employ 3,000 employees and continue to bring innovation and technology to the world, the same goal of General Electric that was first proposed by Whitney and Steinmetz. Notable historic innovations 1900 : GE Industrial Research Laboratory is established 1902 : Electric fan 1908 : Tungsten light bulb filament 1910 : First electric hotpoint range 1916 : Gas - filled light bulb 1918 : Record - capacity water wheel generator at Niagara Falls 1918 : Trans - oceanic radio system 1920 : Portable x-ray machine 1921 : GE turbosupercharger engine helps an aircraft reach a record altitude 1921 : Magnetron vacuum tube 1927 : First television brought into the home 1941 : First U.S. Jet Engine 1943 : First auto - pilot system 1946 : Cloud seeding developed 1949 : The J47 jet engine is developed, which came to be the most produced gas turbine jet engine in history 1962 : Solid - state laser 1969 : Key technologies in the first moon landing 1976 : Computed Tomography ( CT ) scanner 1983 : Signa Magnetic Resonance Imaging system ( MRI ) 2002 : Popularization of wind turbines 2003 : Fuel - efficient Evolution Series locomotive engine 2007 : First 24 cylinder internal combustion engine Notable employees Frank Benford, electrical engineer and physicist best known for rediscovering and generalizing Benford 's law Alexander Stepanov, computer scientist Charles Coffin, businessman and engineer Charles Proteus Steinmetz, mathematician and electrical engineer David Musser, computer scientist Elihu Thomson, engineer and inventor Irving Langmuir, Nobel Laureate, chemist and physicist Ivar Giaever, Nobel Laureate and physicist LeRoy Apker, solid - state physicist George C. Baldwin, theoretical and experimental physicist Ralph Alpher, cosmologist Thomas Edison, inventor, scientist and businessman William David Coolidge, physicist Willis Rodney Whitney, chemist See also Bell Labs DuPont Industrial laboratory Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory List of National Historic Landmarks in New York Menlo Park, New Jersey National Register of Historic Places listings in Schenectady County, New York Westinghouse Electric ( 1886 ) References Jump up ^ National Park Service ( 2007 - 01 - 23 ). `` National Register Information System ''. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. ^ Jump up to : `` General Electric Research Laboratory ''. National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2011 - 06 - 05. Retrieved 2007 - 09 - 13. ^ Jump up to : General Electric. `` Heritage of Research. '' 2010. http://www.ge.com/company/history/research.html ( accessed 22 November 2010 ). Jump up ^ James Sheire ( March 1975 ). `` National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination : General Electric Research Laboratory '' ( pdf ). National Park Service. and Accompanying 2 photos, exterior, circa 1965. ( 744 KB ) ^ Jump up to : Guy Bartlett. `` The General Electric Research Laboratory. What It Is and What It Has Accomplished. '' Journal of Chemical Education ``. 6. 10 ( 1929 ), 1619. ACS Publications ( accessed November 28, 2010 ). Jump up ^ Thomas P. Hughes. American Genesis. 2nd ed. Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 2004. ^ Jump up to : Pamela Mack. `` Industrial Research Laboratories. '' October 10, 2005. http://www.clemson.edu/caah/history/FacultyPages/PamMack/lec122/indres.htm ( accessed 22 November 2010 ). Jump up ^ General Electric, `` GE Global Research. '' 2010. http://ge.geglobalresearch.com ( accessed 23 November ). Jump up ^ `` Aviation History ''. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved March 17, 2016. Jump up ^ General Electric, `` GE Innovation Timeline. '' 2010. http://www.ge.com/innovation/timeline/index.html ( accessed 23 November ). U.S. National Register of Historic Places Topics Architectural style categories Contributing property Historic district History of the National Register of Historic Places Keeper of the Register National Park Service Property types Lists by states Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Lists by insular areas American Samoa Guam Minor Outlying Islands Northern Mariana Islands Puerto Rico Virgin Islands Lists by associated states Federated States of Micronesia Marshall Islands Palau Other areas District of Columbia Morocco Portal General Electric Subsidiaries and divisions Current GE Additive GE Aviation GE Capital GE Capital Aviation Services GE Energy Financial Services GE Digital GE Intelligent Platforms GE Measurement & Control Solutions GE Healthcare GE Lighting GE Power GE Jenbacher GE Waukesha GE Renewable Energy GE Hydro GE Wind Energy GE Transportation Baker Hughes, a GE Company Current, powered by GE GE Global Research Former and defunct Australian Guarantee Corporation Canadian General Electric Compagnia Generale di Elettricità Electric Bond and Share Company GE Americom GE Aerospace GE Appliances GE Betz GE Capital IT Solutions GECIS GE Capital Rail Services GE Capital Rail Services ( Europe ) GE Commercial Finance GE Energy GE Equipment Services GE Home & Business Solutions GE Industrial GE Oil and Gas GE Infrastructure GEIS Genesis Lease GE Security Genworth Financial Montgomery Ward Synchrony Financial Tungsram Whatman Joint ventures and shareholdings Current CFM International ( 50 % ) Engine Alliance ( 50 % ) GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy ( 60 % ) GE Honda Aero Engines ( 50 % ) Penske Truck Leasing Prolec GE ( 49.99 % ) TBS GB Former Alco - GE ( 1940 -- 53 ) NBC ( 1926 -- 30, 1986 -- 2004 ) NBCUniversal, LLC ( 2004 -- 13 ) Products and brands Aircraft engines General Comprehensive Operating System GEnie Locomotives Mazda Reciprocating engines Trivection oven Tungsram People Founders Charles A. Coffin Thomas Edison Edwin J. Houston J.P. Morgan Elihu Thomson Other James Cash Jr. Ann Fudge Susan Hockfield Jeffrey R. Immelt Andrea Jung Rochelle Lazarus Sam Nunn Roger Penske Douglas A. Warner III Jack Welch Bob Wright Places and facilities GE Building General Electric Building Nela Park Realty Plot Research Laboratory River Works Specialty Control Plant Switchgear Plant Welch Technology Centre Sponsorship Carousel of Progress ( 1967 - 73, 1975 - 85 ) Other Edison Engineering Development Program GE True The General Electric Concert General Electric EdgeLab General Electric Theater General Imaging Thomson - Houston Electric Company Timeline United States v. General Electric Co. Phoebus cartel Now integrated into other GE divisions or business groupings Sold or spun off Commons Thomas Edison Discoveries and inventions List of Edison patents Carbon microphone Edison 's Phonograph Doll Edison screw Etheric force Kinetoscope Phonograph Phonomotor Quadruplex telegraph Tasimeter Advancements Consolidated Edison Edison -- Lalande cell Fluoroscopy Incandescent light bulb Movie camera Nickel -- iron battery Thermionic emission Ticker tape Ventures Thomas A. Edison, Inc. Edison and Swan Electric Light Company Edison Gower - Bell Telephone Company of Europe, Ltd. Edison Illuminating Company Edison Machine Works Edison Manufacturing Company Edison Ore - Milling Company Edison Portland Cement Company Edison Records Edison Storage Battery Company Edison Studios General Electric Motion Picture Patents Company Mine Safety Appliances Oriental Telephone Company Monuments Birthplace Black Maria Depot Museum Memorial Tower and Museum National Historical Park State Park Storage Battery Company Building General Electric Research Laboratory Winter Estates Family Charles Edison ( son ) Theodore Miller Edison ( son ) Films Young Tom Edison ( 1940 ) Edison, the Man ( 1940 ) `` The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace '' ( 1998 ) Literature The Future Eve ( 1886 ) Edison 's Conquest of Mars ( 1898 ) Tales from the Bully Pulpit ( 2004 ) Productions The Execution of Mary Stuart ( 1895 ) The Kiss ( 1896 ) A Night of Terror ( 1911 ) Terms Edisonade Edisonian approach Related Thomas Edison in popular culture War of Currents Pearl Street Station Edison Museum Thomas Edison House Edison Hotel Telephonoscope `` Topsy '' Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=General_Electric_Research_Laboratory&oldid=837077913 '' Categories : National Historic Landmarks in New York ( state ) General Electric Buildings and structures in Schenectady, New York Research institutes established in 1900 1900 establishments in New York ( state ) Thomas Edison National Register of Historic Places in Schenectady County, New York Talk Contents About Wikipedia Edit links This page was last edited on 18 April 2018, at 15 : 48. 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Question: who began the first modern industrial research laboratory
Answer: General Electric