Miner alumni are an inventive bunch.

From everyday innovations — toothbrushes and vacuum cleaners, driving machines and washing machines — to industrial, medical and digital advances, to the unusual and unheralded, Missouri S&T graduates have put their brains to work to make things better.

Missouri S&T Magazine staff wondered just how many inventions could claim roots in Rolla, so we asked our readers to share their stories. The response was overwhelming.

Over 160 of you wrote in with details about your inventions. Many of you listed patent numbers associated with those inventions. Some of you hold one or two patents, while others have hundreds to their credit.

We asked Jeff Schramm, Hist’92, what to make of all this inventiveness. Schramm is an associate professor of history and political science at Missouri S&T. He specializes in the history of technology. Schramm says it boils down to concentration.

“Our students are more focused than many,” he says. “This focus often translates into an innovative spirit.”

That innovative spirit is the subject of this issue’s feature section. Read on to find out what everyday items — and obscure technological gadgets — our Miners have created.

Mary Helen Stoltz

Engl’95
News & Features Editor