Thomas Edison

Thomas Alva Edison (1847 - 1931) is renowned as an inventor, scientist, and entrepreneur. While most people are familiar with his work with the light bulb and the phonograph, many are unaware of his involvement in journalism. Edison had very little formal education, having been taught reading, writing, and arithmetic at home by his mother. Yet this modest foundation led to a life-long curiosity and ability to teach himself physics, engineering, and even chemistry.

“My mother taught me how to read good books quickly and correctly, and as this opened up a great world in literature, I have always been very thankful for this early training.”

Employed in his youth by the Grand Trunk Railroad as a “candy butcher”, he sold sweets, newspapers, and magazines on the train. Soon he was writing, printing, and selling his own newspaper on the train. When the Civil War battle of Shiloh was reported, Edison found a way to obtain extra copies of the Detroit Free Press newspaper. Using telegraphy, he had the headlines transmitted ahead to the train’s scheduled stops. At each station, Edison found crowds eagerly waiting to buy his copies of the newspaper, which he sold at a substantial profit. Soon Edison was employed as a telegrapher, becoming a press-wire operator, handling important news dispatches. From this work, Edison established relationships with journalists and editors, as well as those fellow telegraphers who later became newspaper reporters. These relationships became invaluable for keeping Edison’s name in the public consciousness.

Many of Edison’s inventions and innovations play a key role in the success of the Internet - our modern electric power system that allows the computers, servers, and related equipment to function; the telegraphy principals that allow simultaneous and bi-directional communications to take place; the recording industry that provides iTunes, Napster, YouTube, and other online media vendors with music and video. He even had a role in developing the alkaline battery, the ancestor of today’s rechargeable batteries that run our personal electronic devices.

Edison held 1,093 U.S. patents, more than any single inventor in history. My goal as a writer is to approach today’s topics from Edison’s viewpoint, to educate others about the life of this remarkable man, and perhaps to inspire the sharing of his unique vision with the innovators of today and tomorrow. Your comments, questions, and feedback are welcome and encouraged - and very much appreciated!