A Founding Fathers Tech Transfer Story

In honor of our nation's birthday, my family visited the Mount Vernon plantation of George and Martha Washington, and nearby George Washington Gristmill. In addition to being a nice way to spend part of the Fourth of July, the Gristmill provides one of our nation's early technology transfer success stories.

These days, when a patent application is approved, there is little pomp or circumstance: a patent issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is signed physically or electronically by the USPTO Director. In 1790, by contrast, President Washington personally reviewed and signed each successful patent application. (In addition to the President, each patent was also signed by Attorney General Edmund Randolf, and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson.) As a mill owner and operator, Washington found particular interest in the patent issued to prolific inventor Oliver Evans for the Evans Mill System. Evans' automated flour mill was granted U.S. Patent No. 3 and is recognized as the first mass production process, and President Washington was an early mover in commercialization of the invention. Within two years, over 100 other mills also had adopted Evans' machinery, which allowed for continuous milling of flour at high quality with less manpower and higher efficiency. For more background on Oliver Evans and his other inventions see www.greenbankmill.org/oliverevans.html or read about Washington's Gristmill at www.mountvernon.org/visit/plan/index.cfm/pid/806.

It was fascinating to hear how this invention changed milling in the U.S. and contributed to the early strength of U.S. processed agricultural exports to Europe. It was also interesting to learn about how Washington saw the immediate economic importance and value of patents was an early mover to adopt the technology at his mill in Mount Vernon. I didn't set out to spend my Fourth of July thinking about tech transfer and the value of patents, but there you go. It is amazing how technology transfer is embedded in the history of our founding fathers and of the Republic.

- Susan Finston