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Themes Book Three

THEMES OVERVIEW     Inventions:  Wilbur Steele invented a railroad car heating device, and John Crean invented a new style of Venetian blind for trailers.  Henry Bolley conceived the idea to develop a crop sprayer that could be driven over the fields.  Patrick Haggerty helped develop the pocket-sized radio, the integrated circuit, the hand-held calculator, the microprocessor, the digital watch, infrared night-vision equipment, airborne radar, and the laser-guided missile system.     Innovations & Discoveries:  Stanley Huntley created a new genre of comedy about a cantankerous husband with an understanding wife.  This type of comedy was later popularized in television with The Honeymooners and All in the Family.  Henry Bolley was one of the first scientists to advocate the utilization of chemicals as a method of weed control.  He also developed Bison flax, the first strain resistant to flax wilt.     Firsts – National:  George Black created the “one-cent sale” where one item in a store is sold at the regular price and a second item can be purchased for a penny.  Norval Baptie was one of two (along with Sonia Henie) to be inducted into the Ice Skaters Hall of Fame.  Cora Smith became the first woman to scale Mount Olympus in the state of Washington.  Woody Keeble was the first full-blooded Sioux to be awarded the Medal of Honor.     Most, Biggest, Best, etc. – National:  William Washburn was involved in the development of the Pillsbury flour mill, the largest mill in the world.  He also organized the Washburn Lignite Coal Company near Wilton, North Dakota, the largest lignite mine in the world.  From 1906 to 1916, Gil Dobie’s college football teams went undefeated, the most consecutive years without a loss in U.S. history.  In 1931, Florence Klingensmith completed 1078 loops in her airplane, a women’s record.  Montie Montana was considered the greatest trick rope artist of all time and participated in a record 61 performances (1925-1995) in the annual Tournament of Roses.  Patrick Haggerty had the highest grade point average ever at Marquette University.  In 1953, the Klaudt family had the top gospel recording of the year.     Firsts – U.S. Regional:  Cora Smith performed the first abdominal surgery in Minnesota, Henry Bolley was the first quarterback at Purdue University, and Frank Anders was the first student to be given a scholarship at the University of Wisconsin.