Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-10-19

- service in the United States
Patent Office, having worked
i his way up through all the
grades with a record never
yet equaled. having approved many
patents that have revolutionized in
dustry,, having performed important
war service in viseing applica tions
for patents that might have been Of
aid to the enemy, having personally
set up the present classification sys-
tenn. which brought economy and eff
cheney and expedition into Patent Of
flce practice, Frank G. Skinner has
for more than IS years been a men,
Der of the board OF cxaminers-in-
chief by appointment of President
Roosevelt. and is now senior member
of that board
With the best possible technical
training in engineering at Massachu-
settS Institute of Technology and for
three years at the United States Ma
val Academy. with several years Of
practical experience in two large car
and foundry companies having been
admitted to the bar and practiced
law for several years, Mr.. Skinner
brought ideal equipment to his chosen
life-work when he entered the United
States Patent office in June, 1888.
II you want 10 KNOW a man s real
worth on his job you must get the
consensus of opinion Of those who
work with him. who know the daily
requirements of his job and how he
meets them. who know the many vex-
atious incidents that may arise daily
and in what spirit he brushes past
them. Here is the boiled down opin-
ion his fellow workers (some of them
for twoscore years have Of Mr.. Skin
ner, which was printed nearly two
years ago in the Journal of the Pat
ent office Society:
Mr.. Skinner is one of the land
marks Of the Office, not only by rea-
son of his length of service, but on
account of the value of that service.
His work in connection with inaugu-
rating the present classification sys-
tenn was that of a pioneer and is
monumental in character. He is
looked upon as one of the intellectual
lights Of the office, and probably no
ing corps has contributed so effec-
lively to the technical and legal adj
ministration of the office as he has"
His youth was spent in just such
way as ideally qualified him for
steady development through the years,
resulting in his present very i'm
portant position. Born in the great
mill city of Lawrence. Mass. and with
a natural m echanical bent, after grad
uating from the local schools Mr..
Skinner attended the Massachusetts,
Institute of Technology, the grad
yates of which institution hold first
honors for the number and impor-
lance of patents granted by the
United States Government. After his
first year at NJ. /. T., Mr.. Skinner won
an appointment to the United States
Naval Academy at Annapolis and
remained there for three years.
Among his classmates at Annapolis
was Rear Admiral T. S. Rogers, whose
father was at the time superintendent of
the academy, and whose cousin was
Rear Admiral w. L. Rogers. Another
c,assmate was Admiral Griffin, who for
many years held the important post of
head of the Bureau of Engineering in
the Navy Department. Other class
mates and friends were Rear Admiral
Glennon and Rear Admiral H. S. Knapp,
who was in command of a European
station at the time Of his death several
years ago.
At that time the Navy was running
down, there were few ships and even
those were not being kept in repair.
There seemed little prospect of advance
ment in the Navy, so Mr.. Skinner re-
signed voluntarily and decided to study
law. He read law at Lewiston. Me,
graduated at Albany Law School,, and
was admitted to the bar at Albany in
May, 1879. After a few years practice
he entered the employ Of the Indiana
Car Co. of Cambridge City, Ind. where
he was in charge of the Office and pur-
chased most of the lumber and other
supplies. Then he was transferred to
the Missouri Car and Foundry Co. at
ST. Louis, Mo, operated by the same
people.
Seeing an opportunity for lifework
fitted 20 his training. inclination and
a ptitude if he would begin at the bot
tom and work his way up, Mr.. Skinner
entered the Patent Office as first-class