George Crowley, Born 1919
INVENTOR OF THE MODERN ELECTRIC BLANKET
George Crowley was an American engineer who worked for the General Electric company. He is noted as the inventor of the modern electric blanket, the design of which drew on his experience designing heated flying suits for pilots during World War II. Previous versions of the electric blanket had proved unreliable and dangerous. By the time he was 6 years old, Mr. Crowley was already showing his flair for invention, wiring the stairs to his third-floor room to warn of approaching parents. By 12 he had rigged a dining room door to open so that his mother could easily pass through carrying armloads of dishes and had arranged for the curtains to close when someone flipped on the lights. Sometimes he would ask family members to survey the kitchen ''looking for things he could invent,'' He registered more than 80 patents during his career. These included a device for painting golf balls by suspending them in a jet of air while they were sprayed and dried.
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