- Great American Business Leaders of the Twentieth Century
Arnold O. Beckman
Beckman Instruments
1935 - 1982
Healthcare
| Military Service | Marines |
|---|
b. 1900
| Education |  |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate | University of Illinois |
| Graduate | MS, University of Illinois & PhD, California Institute of Technology |
| Personal | |
|---|---|
| Born-Died | 1900 |
| Birthplace | Illinois (IL) |
| Race | White |
| Father | Laborer, Skilled |
Beckman is considered one of America’s foremost inventors. Starting with the invention of the pH meter (the first accurate test for acidity) in 1935, Beckman went on to secure 14 patents and produce dozens of scientific instruments that have advanced the understanding of human biology and chemical measurement. In 1982, Beckman Instruments was sold to SmithKline Corporation for $1 billion, and in 1987, Beckman was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.