Edward E. Hammer | |
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| Born | December 27, 1931 |
| Died | July 16, 2012[1] (aged 80) |
| Awards | IEEE Edison Medal(2002) |
Edward E. Hammer (December 27, 1931 – July 16, 2012)[1] was an engineer who was at the forefront offluorescent lighting research. His technological contributions inincandescent, fluorescent and HID light sources earned him over 35patents.[2]
He received hisbachelor's degree fromManhattan College in 1954.
During the energy crisis of the 1970s, he led the development ofGeneral Electric’s pioneering energy-efficient lamp. He led the development of theWatt Miser (marketed as the F-40 Watt Miser), which was released in 1973. In 1976, he invented the firstcompact fluorescent lightbulb, but due to the difficulty of the manufacturing process for coating the interior of the spiral glass tube, GE did not manufacture or sell the device. Other companies began manufacturing and selling the device in 1995.[3] TheSmithsonian Institution houses Hammer's original CFL prototype.
Hammer is anIEEE Fellow and the 2002 IEEEEdison Medal winner.