Van Phillips Oral History and Papers
name: label: Donor
content: Ossur North America
label: Interviewer
content: Ott, Katherine
label: Interviewee
content: Phillips, Van
label: Interviewer
content: Dennis, Maggie
label: Creator
content: Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation.
label: Names
content: Flex-Foot, Inc.
label: Creator
content: Djordjevic, Slobodon
label: Creator
content: Pouchak, Hilary D.
title: label: Topic
content: Innovative Lives Program (NMAH public program series)
topic: label: Topic
content: Inventions
label: Topic
content: Inventors
label: Topic
content: Prosthesis
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The design drawings and product literature was donated by Ossur North America, on July 30, 2004. The videocassettes were donated by the Smithsonian Institution's Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, National Museum of American History on July 30, 2004.
creator: label: Donor
content: Ossur North America
label: Interviewer
content: Ott, Katherine
label: Interviewee
content: Phillips, Van
label: Interviewer
content: Dennis, Maggie
label: Creator
content: Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation.
setName: label: See more items in
content: Van Phillips Oral History and Papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: Video oral history interview of Van Phillips, inventor of the Flex-Foot and other innovative prosthetic feet, conducted by Katherine Ott and Maggie Dennis, February 27, 2004, and design drawings and printed materials regarding prosthetic feet by Van Phillips, Hilary D. Pouchak, and Slobodon Djordjevic.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: In 1976, after a waterskiing accident, Van Phillips had his left leg amputated just above the ankle. At the time he was twenty-one years old and a student at Arizona State University studying mass communications and advertising. The accident and his frustration with the prosthetic technology at the time motivated Phillips to switch his studies to prosthetics. He graduated in 1981. Happy to design a prosthetic foot with strength, flexibility, and light weight materials, Phillips began the process of bringing his ideas into reality. During this time his idea of a C-shaped foot was born. Carbon fiber with its excellent strength and flexible properties was cut into a C-shaped foot, with a sole on the bottom and a prosthetic socket above. With this design, weight applied by landing on the heel was converted into energy thereby simulating the spring action of the normal foot and allowing users to run and jump. After trying out his new design, Phillips immediately decided to quit his job, develop his design, and start a new company. Flex-Foot Inc. was formed in 1984 and demand for Phillips innovative prosthetic foot has increased ever since. While the firm was sold in 2000 to Ossur, a company based in Iceland, in 2000, Phillips still owns the patent rights to his invention and continues to contribute his ideas and expertise to research and development projects.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1.35 Cubic feet (3 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1991-2004
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: Video oral history created by the Innovative Lives Program of the Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. Transferred to the Archives Center on March 9, 2004. Papers donated by Ossur North America, the company which bought Phillips' design, on November 11, 2003.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0859
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Videotapes
label: Type
content: Design drawings
label: Type
content: Oral history
label: Type
content: Interviews
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into two series. 

Series 1: Video Oral History, 2004

Series 2: Design Drawings and Printed Materials, 1991-2002
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Processed by Mitch Toda, August 2004; supervised by Alison Oswald, archivist.
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: Original videos digitized in 2014. See repository for details.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Videotapes -- 2000-2010
label: Genre/Form
content: Design drawings
label: Genre/Form
content: Oral history -- 2000-2010
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews -- 2000-2010
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Approximately two hours of a video oral history interview of Van Phillips, inventor of the Flex-Foot and other innovative prosthetic feet, conducted by Katherine Ott and Maggie Dennis, February 27, 2004. In Series 2 there are design drawings and printed materials regarding prosthetic feet by Van Phillips and Hilary D. Pouchak.