James Fergason

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James Fergason (born January 12, 1934 in Wakenda , Missouri ; † December 9, 2008 ) was an American physicist who researched in the field of liquid crystals (LC) and their applications.

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James Fergason received his bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Missouri in 1956 . He made his first practical experience with liquid crystals at Westinghouse Research Laboratories in Pennsylvania and received a patent (US 3,114,836) in 1963 for devices for imaging temperature measurement with cholesteric liquid crystals ( Thermal imaging devices utilizing a cholesteric liquid crystalline phase ).

Two years later he left Westinghouse and founded his own company ILIXCO to manufacture his improved LC displays. His first customer was a Swiss watch manufacturer who made LCD watches.

Fergason held over 150 patents in the United States and over 500 patents abroad. In 2001 he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame . In 2008 he received the IEEE Jun-ichi Nishizawa Medal .

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