George C. Crowley This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. inventors

   www.goodbyemag.com/jan00/inven - [Cached]

   Published on: 10/7/1999   Last Visited: 4/12/2002

   For this producer of artificial warmth we can blame George C. Crowley, an engineer for General Electric, who received the first patent for a thermostatically controlled electric blanket.
   
   Crowley was an engineer working for GE on heated flying suits for pilots flying at great altitude when he conceived of the electric blanket. He continued to develop the thing, introducing, most recently, a control to switch off an overheated blanket.
   
   In his long career he also produced inventions for bouncing tennis balls, for keeping squirrels off bird feeders, and many other things.
   
   He also found work as an expert witness in lawsuits over fires supposedly started by electric blankets. The real cause was often cigarettes – unsurprising that indolent smokers would also be electric blanket users. But Crowley, too, used an electric blanket and there was one on his bed when he died at age 80.
   
   Greeting Cards
   
   One of the greatest 20th century purveyors of saccharin thoughts has made the transition to room temperature, and we all wish him well in his new position, six feet under.

2. 2. 2000 Daily News Archives

   www.ipo.org/DailyNewsChron2000 - [Cached]

   Published on: 2/10/1999   Last Visited: 8/11/2000

   INVENTORS -- It is reported today by the Los Angeles Times that George Crowley, 80, inventor of the electric blanket, holder of 80 patents, and a retired employee of General Electric Co., died earlier this month in Pinehurst, NC.
   
   MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW -- The 2000 IPO Annual Meeting will be in Dallas, TX, Sun. through Tue., Nov. 12 to 14.
   
   NOTE -- Due to the disruption caused by the snow storm in Washington, DC, the 1/26/00 IPO DAILY NEWS will be delivered on 1/27/00.MONDAY, JANUARY 24, 2000, 10 : 30a.m. TEXT SHOWS CHANGES MADE BY NEW PATENT LEGISLATION -- The new patent reform legislation (American Inventors Protection Act, Public Law 106-113) is now available on the USPTO web site (http : //www.ipo.org /) in a format that shows changes in title 35, U.S. Code. Material added by the new legislation is underlined and material deleted is struck through.