Sperry was always interested in machinery, inventing at age six a horseradish grater for his aunt. Later he studied machinery at various shops in his hometown of Cortland, New York, and made informal arrangements to sit in on lectures at nearby Cornell University. In recognition of his talents, the local YMCA collected money to send him to the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia, where he was so awestruck with the mechanical marvels there that he said it influenced the rest of his life.

While attending Cornell, Sperry made suggestions concerning the construction of a dynamo at the university that led to his being placed in charge of its building, as well as the development of a new type of arc light. At the age of twenty Sperry founded the Sperry Electric Company, which manufactured dynamos, arc lamps, and other electrical equipment. The company was a success and was responsible...