Alfred Carlton Gilbert
Personal information | ||||||||||||
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Born | Salem, Oregon | February 15, 1884|||||||||||
Died | January 24, 1961 Boston, Massachusetts | (aged 76)|||||||||||
Medal record
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Alfred Carlton Gilbert (February 15,
Early life and education
Gilbert was educated at the
An accomplished athlete, he broke the world record for consecutive
Career
Choosing not to pursue a medical career, Gilbert founded Mysto Manufacturing, a manufacturer of
By 1935, his company had sold more than 30 million of the Erector sets.[citation needed] He also added chemistry sets, microscope sets, and other educational toys to his product line, accumulating more than 150 patents during his 50-year career. In 1938, he acquired the rights to the American Flyer toy train line from W. O. Coleman and moved their production from Chicago to New Haven.[5]: 160 At the same time, he adopted a 3/16 scale for this train line while keeping the three-rail O-gauge track then associated with Lionel, a competitor. Following World War II, O-gauge track was abandoned in favor of two-rail S-gauge track. Gilbert was lauded for his adherence to scale realism, making American Flyer trains look more real and less toylike.[citation needed]
Gilbert is credited with originating the concept of providing
Frustrated that invention was an important part of American society not taught in schools, in 1941 Gilbert opened the Gilbert Hall of Science in New York City, a science and technology museum. It served the dual purpose of promoting interest in science and selling Gilbert's products.[5]: 160–161
In 1950–1951 he marketed the Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Laboratory, which contained radioactive ore samples of autunite, carnotite, torbernite and uraninite.[5]: 179
Personal life
In 1908, he married Mary Thompson, whom he had met at Pacific University. They had three children: two girls and a boy.
Later years
Upon his retirement in 1954, Gilbert turned his company over to his son.[5]: 163–164 The same year, he published his autobiography, titled The Man Who Lives in Paradise. After his death in 1961, the family sold its remaining shares in the A. C. Gilbert Company to Jack Wrather. It went out of business in 1967, although the Erector trademark continued to be used.[5]: 189–192
Legacy
A museum in Gilbert's birthplace of Salem, Oregon, A. C. Gilbert's Discovery Village, is named in his honor. The museum comprises several historic structures, including the house of Gilbert's uncle Andrew T. Gilbert. It opened in 1989.[5]: 207
The television movie
Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon, has a residential hall named after him that was opened in 2009.
Publications
- Gilbert Mysto Magic (1919)
- Gilbert 75 Electrical Toys and Tricks (1919)
- Gilbert Chemical Magic (1920)
- Gilbert Handkerchief Tricks for Boys (1920)
- Gilbert Hydraulic and Pneumatic Engineering (1920)
- Gilbert Knots & Splices with Rope-Tying Tricks (1920)
- Gilbert Magnetic Fun and Facts (1920)
- Gilbert Carpentry for Boys (1920)
- Gilbert Weather Bureau (meteorology) for Boys (1920)
- Experimental Glass Blowing for Boys (1920)
- Gilbert Mineralogy for Boys (1921)
- Gilbert Mineralogy: Fun with Minerals (1922)
- Gilbert Coin Tricks for Boys (1938)
- Roar of the Rails (1944)
- Fun With Gilbert Chemistry (1946)
- American Flyer Instruction Book (1952)
- Gilbert Home Chemistry (1952)
- The Man Who Lives in Paradise (1954)
References
- ^ Gilbert, Alfred Carlton. (1954). The Man who Lives in Paradise: The Autobiography of A. C. Gilbert. Rhinehart. p. 6
- ^ "Alfred Carlton Gilbert". Olympedia. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
- ^ Pacific University Heart of the Oak, 1902, page 85.
- ^ a b "Toys: Just a Boy". Time. New York City. February 3, 1961. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- ^ ISBN 978-0670031344.
- ^ "World's Record Vault by Gilbert of Yale; Collegian Clears Bar at Celtic Park at 12 Feet 3 Inches." New York Times, May 31, 1906.
- ^ Yale Alumni Magazine, July/August 2008
- ISBN 9780740755712. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
- ^ GB patent 190100587, Frank Hornby, "Improvements in Toy or Educational Devices for Children and Young People", published 1901-11-30, issued 1901-11-30
External links
- * The Eli Whitney Museum's extensive A. C. Gilbert Project includes collections, a bibliography, and pictures of Gilbert
- A. C. Gilbert's Discovery Village
- The A. C. Gilbert Heritage Society
- A. C. Gilbert Papers (MS 1618). Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library.