1920-

American Physicist

Disputes over his patents claims have made Gordon Gould one of the most controversial figures in laser history. Notwithstanding these controversies, most of the American laser industry is or has been licensed under his laser patents. The Patent Office Society named him inventor of the year for 1978.

Gordon Gould was born July 17, 1920, in New York City. As a child he idolized Thomas Edison (1847-1931) and dreamed of being an inventor. He earned a B.S. in physics from Union College (1941). Upon completing a masters degree in optical spectroscopy at Yale University (1943), he worked for the Manhattan Project—the American effort to build a nuclear bomb during World War II—separating uranium isotopes. After the war he chose to support himself with part-time jobs while he invented, designing an improved contact lens and attempting to produce synthetic diamonds.

Gould soon realized his background was...