Few are born in this world to accomplish a task destiny has scripted for them or they script their destiny. They know they are not born just to go one day unsung and unremembered. The characters like Thomas Alva Edison arrive in this world empty handed like others but leave behind a treasure of their creations and indelible image to be remembered even long after death. There are several fields of activity that lead the human race forward on the path of progress and the science is the most important of them. It influences every other progressive activity. Edison dedicated his life to inventions that illuminate the human life and make it more comfortable and joyful. When his country needed he worked for navy to make it more useful and stronger to defend itself. He himself was a human machine of inventions. Incredible are his achievements and for such a person there is no dirth of honours and awards. To pay tribute to him many places are named after him, museums and memorials are also dedicated solely to his memory. Some companies carry his name and awards have been instituted in his name. Edison himself received some awards. American Navy also honoured him for his contribution in research to strengthen it or solve its problems.
Thomas Alva Edison who died on October 18, 1931
Tribute : Edison is a place
The most remarkable honour to Edison is the name of the hamlet or settlements renamed after him as ‘Edison, New Jersey’.
After his name in Trenton, New Jersey an Adult Literacy Centre called ‘Thomas Edison State College,’ has been set up which is recognised at national level in the USA.
Two community institutions have been dedicated to his name :
1. Edison College in Fort Myres, Florida.
2. Edison Community College in Ohio.
Schools after his name are too many to be enumerated here.
City Hotel, Sunburry, Pensylvania was the building that Edison illuminated with his three wire system. The hotel is now known as ‘Hotel Edison’ for future and continues to carry that name at least till to this day.
Three bridges have been named after Edison. They are situated over different rivers in different places in USA.
Museums and Memorials
In the town of Edison ‘The Thomas Alva Edison Memorial Tower’ and ‘Museum’ have been raised and instituted respectively.
In 13.5 acre area of Glenmont Estate Thomas Edison and Mina were buried. It is looked after by National Park Service as national historic treasure or legacy.
There is Edison Museum is Bumont, Texas although Edison never visited that place in his life.
The ‘Port Heuren Museum’, Michigan is the real life memorial where young Edison had worked as ‘News hound’.
‘Thomas Alva Edison Depot Museum’ is also in Port Heuren.
In this town the evolutionary symbolic figures of Edison are preserved. The graves of his father and the mother are also here.
As a memorial stands the statue of Thomas Alva Edison on St. Clair river.
‘Edison Memorial Fountain’ is in Detroit at Grand Circus Park built to honour his great achievements and his memory. On October 21, 1929 it was dedicated to the people as the inscription on its stone announces.
The companies carrying ‘Edison’ name
Edison General Electric which was incorporated in Thomson-Houston Electric Co.
Commonwealth Edison, now a part of Exelon.
Consolidated Edison.
Edison International.
Southern California Edison.
Edison Mission Energy.
Edison Capital.
Detroit Edison, DTE’s energy unit.
Edison Salt Electric Company.
Edison First Energy : 1. Metropolitan Energy Edison 2. Ohio Energy Edison 3. Toledo E. Edison.
Edison S.P.A. Boston Edison (Edison Electric Illuminating Company)
Honours in memory of Edison
Edison Medal : Given on his birthday 11-2-1904 (started by his friends and associates).
American Institute of Electric Engineers Medal.
Electric and Electronic Engineering Award.
‘Edison Prizes’ are given for achievements in various electrical field, like Electrical Science, Electrical Engineering, Electrical Art etc.
Honours and awards for Edison
Metaemucci Medal for telegraphy.
35th spot in the list of ‘100 Most Brilliant Persons of Human History’.
Top spot in ‘100 Most Important persons of last 1000 years’ for his electric bulb mainly.
15th spot in ‘Greatest Americans’ of all time.
National Invention Day (of America) 11th February (the birth day of Thomas A. Edison)
Honoured in centinary celebration of Automatic Telegraph System and Automatic Electric Pen.
in his life time
The title of ‘Magician of Menlo Park’ (Epithet).
Highest Honour in Paris Universal Expo-1878.
Honorary Doctorate by Union College New York—26-6-1878.
Honorary ‘Doctor of Philosophy’ degree by Reutgers College, New Brunswick.
Gold Medal-1909 by Royal Academy of Sciences, Sweden for phonograph and bulb.
Retheno Medal 23-1-1913 for safety lamp.
Honorary Doctorate of Science by Rhutgurs University—June 1922.
Congressional Medal : 28-10-1928.
Named Edison
U.S. Naval Destroyer—USS-Edison.
Nuclear Submarine fleet—USS-Thomas A. Edison (S.S. V.N.-610).
Registered in Naval Vessel on 30-4-1886.
Memorials
Edison’s last breath preserved in a Test Tube and kept in Henry Ford Museum alongwith plaster cast ‘Death Mask’ showing his last posture.
The graves of Thomas A. Edison and Mina Miller Edison are preserved in Glenmont Estate that Edison bought in 1886 as a present to his wife Mina.
