Samuel Ruben Papers

Samuel Ruben was born on July 14, 1900, in Harrison, New Jersey. He developed an interest in electrochemistry at a young age; however, he had minimal formal training in the area. Though he attended college-level courses briefly, he withdrew after a short period of time, as the stress level was causing him physical ailment. Nevertheless, he continued with home study and experimentation and soon gained confidence enough to seek employment in a laboratory setting. From 1918 to 1921, Ruben worked for the Electrochemical Products Laboratory. Beginning in 1921, Ruben helped found a laboratory in New Rochelle, NY, which eventually became known as Ruben Laboratories, where he acted as president for much of his life. Ruben worked on numerous projects related to the field of electrochemistry and became a very well-recognized scientist and inventor. He invented the mercury primary cell, the dry electrolyte condenser, the rectifier tube, and flexible wire with ceramic insulation. In addition, Ruben aided in the invention of the cardio – pacemaker, by developing an appropriate battery for the device. Ruben worked extensively with the Duracell company on such projects as alkaline dry batteries and is credited with revolutionizing battery technology. His notable inventions earned him the Inventor of the Year Award in 1965 from the Research Institute at George Washington University. Ruben was an American Chemical Society Fellow, and a member of the Electrochemical Society. He passed away in 1988.

Sources

The Samuel Ruben Papers, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ruben, Samuel. Necessity's Children: Memoirs of an Independent Inventor. Portland, OR: Breitenbush Books, 1990.