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A Brief Biography of Thomas Alva Edison
Edison and the War
New problems were heaped on Edison by the approaching entry of the United States into the war and the destruction by fire of his giant West Orange manufacturing plant. Almost before the embers died, new buildings began to rise from the ruins.
America at that time was almost entirely dependent upon foreign sources for fundamental coal-tar derivatives vital to many manufacturing processes. These derivatives were to become increasingly essential for the production of explosives, so Edison established plants for their manufacture. His work is recognized as having laid the groundwork for the most important development of the coal-tar chemical industry in the nation today.
Josephus Daniels, then-Secretary of the Navy, foresaw the country's need for technological advances in its preparedness program. His mind turned to one man, Thomas Edison, to undertake such a program, and in 1915, Edison became president of the newly created Naval Consulting Board, forerunner of the Navy Department's great research division of today. A colossal bronze head of the inventor, honoring him as the founder of the Naval Research Laboratories, was unveiled December 3, 1952, on the mall at the Anacostia, Maryland, Laboratories.
Edison arranged for leading scientists to serve with him on the consulting board and also made available to the government the facilities of his laboratory. Much of the consulting board's effort was directed against the German submarine menace. Among the many inventions and ideas turned over to the Navy were devices and methods for detecting submarines by sound from moving vessels and for detecting enemy planes, for locating gun positions by range sounding, improved torpedoes, a high-speed signaling shutter for searchlights, and underwater searchlights. These and many other devices and formulas of prime importance came out of the Edison laboratory.
With the end of the war, Edison, although he had passed the 70 mark, thought only in terms of scientific and industrial progress. There would be time enough to think of taking it easy when he reached 100, he said. "My desire," he once said of this period of his life, "is to do everything within my power to further free the people from drudgery, and create the largest possible measure of happiness, and prosperity."
 
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