Veterans Day is a time for us to honor all who have served in the United States Armed Forces.  Jones Robb celebrates the patriotism and willingness of these servicemembers to sacrifice to protect our country and preserve our freedoms.

The focus of our business is innovation and technology, so we want to recognize the Veterans throughout history who have and continue to make significant contributions to global innovations in a wide range of technical fields. A prime example of such ingenuity is Lewis Latimer (1848 – 1928), a Navy Veteran of the Civil War and son of escaped slaves. Latimer was responsible for innovations in the productions of carbon filaments, an improvement which would lead to making electric light available in many American homes. Another example is Frederick Jones (1893 – 1961), an Army Veteran of World War I, who not only broke barriers as an African-American serviceman, but also invented refrigerated transportation systems following his service. Arnold Beckman (1900 – 2004) is another instance of Veterans exhibiting incredible ingenuity. A Marine Veteran of World War I, Beckman invented a pH meter among other scientific instruments. In addition, there is Lloyd Conover (1923 – 2017), a Navy Veteran of World War II, invented the antibiotic tetracycline following his service.

A more modern example is former United States Air Force Captain Krissa Watry, who went on to found companies in both technology and the sports equipment industry. There is also Colin Wayne, who innovated how steel is created and used in the home décor field after actively serving in the Alabama Army National Guard as a Military Police Officer. Finally, there is Sherman Williams Jr., a former Disabled Captain in the U.S. Army. Sherman retired in 2017 after serving for over two decades and went on to manage the operations of a company which continues to innovate in the high-end health drink industry.

These are only a few cases of how Veterans continue to serve their country after service by becoming inventors. The United States Patent and Trademark Office will honor these accomplishments and engage Veterans to participate in a program that supports their ability to create and secure patents by hosting their annual Veterans Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program (Click Here).

Jones Robb is paying tribute to present and former members of our military this year by making a contribution to the Wounded Warriors Project. Please join us in thanking all Veterans today and throughout the year for their service and continuing contributions to technology and society as a whole.