322 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



" The Committee felt that they could not decide upon Mr. Edison's 

 claims for priority in any particular invention in this new industry. In- 

 deed, courts of law after prolonged litigation have found it difficult to de- 

 cide how far Mr. Edison was in advance of contemporary workers. The 

 task given to the Rumford Committee to decide who is the most worthy 

 of the Rumford Medal, especially in the field of the application of elec- 

 tricity for the production of light and heat, is not an easy one. The 

 number of investigators is now so large that it is no longer possible in 

 general for one man to claim to be the first to apply electricity to a new 

 field. The successful application is the result of many minds working 

 on the same problem. Although the Committee did not feel justified in 

 expressing the opinion that Mr. Edison invented the incandescent carbon 

 filament lamp, or that he was the first to arrange such lamp in multiple 

 on the circuit, thus producing what is popularly termed a subdivision of 

 the electric light, or that the Edison dynamo had greater merits than the 

 machine of Gramme and Siemens and others ; still they are convinced 

 that Mr. Edison gave a great impulse to the new industry, and that he was 

 the first to successfully install a central electric lighting plant with the 

 multitude of practical devices which are necessary. They believe that this 

 impulse was due to his indefatigable application, to his remarkable in- 

 stinct in whatever relates to the practical application of electric circuits, 

 and to his inventive genius. They therefore have unanimously recom- 

 mended to the Academy to bestow the Rumford Medals upon him, feel- 

 ing that the work of Mr. Edison would especially appeal to the great 

 founder of the medals, Count Rumford, if he were living." 



The Academy has accepted the report of the Rumford Committee, 

 and has voted to confer the gold and the silver medal upon Mr. Edison. 

 The recipient finds it impossible to be present at this meeting of the 

 Academy, and has requested Professor Trowbridge to act as his proxy, 

 and to receive the medals for him. 



In the name of the Academy I beg you. Professor Trowbridge, to 

 accept the charge of conveying these medals to Mr. Edison's hands. 

 It would be most ungracious for us who are assembled in this room, 

 which is flooded by this steady and brilliant electric light, to withhold 

 our personal thanks for what Mr. Edison's investigations and practical 

 activities have done for us all. And, hence, I may venture to say that 

 our thanks and all good wishes are to be conveyed with the Rumford 

 Medals. 



Professor Trowbridge replied as follows : — 



