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Duell has become famous for, during his tenure as United States
Commissioner of Patents, purportedly saying "Everything that can be invented has been invented." However, this has been debunked as apocryphal by librarian Samuel Sass who traced the quote back to a 1981 book titled "The Book of Facts
519:. In it Ellsworth states, "The advancement of the arts, from year to year, taxes our credulity and seems to presage the arrival of that period when human improvement must end." This quote was apparently then mispresented and attributed to Duell, who held the same office in 1899.
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In my opinion, all previous advances in the various lines of invention will appear totally insignificant when compared with those which the present century will witness. I almost wish that I might live my life over again to see the wonders which are at the
510:
In that edition, the comedy magazine offered a look at the "coming century." In colloquy, a genius asked "isn't there a clerk who can examine patents?" A boy replied "Quite unnecessary, Sir. Everything that can be invented has been
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471:(1824–1891) and Mary L. (Cuyler) Duell (1822–1884). He married Harriet M. Sackett (born 1854), and they had several children, among them State Senator
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Another possible origin of this famous statement may actually be found in a report to
Congress in 1843 by an earlier Patent Office Commissioner,
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on
January 5, 1905, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on August 31, 1906, due to his resignation.
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697:. Vol. 97. Albany, N.Y. 12 January 1909. p. 8 – via NYS Historic Newspapers.
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Following his resignation from the federal bench, Duell resumed private practice in
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saw a correlation between the expression and a joke from an 1899 edition of
767:"Tracing the Quote: Everything that can be Invented has been Invented"
756:(Magazine for Science and Reason), Vol. 13, Spring 1989, pg. 310-313.
742:
798:
Tracing the Quote: Everything that can be
Invented has been Invented
839:
667:
429:
United States Court of
Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
917:
Judges of the United States Court of
Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
451:
from 1906 to 1913, and in 1915. He died on
January 29, 1920, in
331:(April 13, 1850 – January 29, 1920) was the Commissioner of the
922:
United States federal judges appointed by
Theodore Roosevelt
753:
423:
on
December 16, 1904, to an Associate Justice seat on the
712:"The Sackett Family Association - Charles Holland Duell"
787:. The Friend. 27 March 2019 – via Google Books.
379:
in 1878 and 1880. He returned to private practice in
375:, New York from 1873 to 1880. He was a member of the
399:) from 1898 to 1901. He resumed private practice in
371:Law School in 1872. He entered private practice in
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479:Everything that can be invented has been invented
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706:
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630:Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia
425:Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia
341:Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia
203:January 1, 1880 – December 31, 1880
44:Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia
521:
170:April 2, 1878 – December 31, 1878
56:January 5, 1905 – August 31, 1906
29:
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397:United States Patent and Trademark Office
927:1908 United States presidential electors
845:Biographical Directory of Federal Judges
673:Biographical Directory of Federal Judges
868:Works by or about Charles Holland Duell
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912:United States Commissioners of Patents
663:
661:
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601:United States Commissioner of Patents
389:United States Commissioner of Patents
7:
741:Samuel Sass, author and publisher, "
335:from 1898 to 1901, and was later an
484:and Fallacies" by Chris Morgan and
907:Hamilton College (New York) alumni
714:. 13 February 2013. Archived from
14:
467:Duell was the son of Congressman
419:Duell was nominated by President
572:New York County, 13th District
543:New York County, 13th District
488:. In fact, Duell said in 1902:
431:) vacated by Associate Justice
902:People from Cortland, New York
387:from 1880 to 1898. He was the
1:
743:A Patently False Patent Myth
691:"Voted for Taft and Sherman"
403:from 1901 to 1904. He was a
393:United States Patent Office
351:Born on April 13, 1850, in
333:United States Patent Office
99:United States Patent Office
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435:. He was confirmed by the
819:"The Charles Duell Rumor"
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628:Associate Justice of the
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850:Federal Judicial Center
848:, a publication of the
678:Federal Judicial Center
676:, a publication of the
569:New York State Assembly
540:New York State Assembly
526:New York State Assembly
377:New York State Assembly
155:New York State Assembly
732:, 13 April 1991, p.83.
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443:Later career and death
159:from the 13th district
840:Charles Holland Duell
748:July 9, 2007, at the
668:Charles Holland Duell
611:Frederick Innes Allen
508:
347:Early life and career
329:Charles Holland Duell
243:Charles Holland Duell
146:Frederick Innes Allen
23:Charles Holland Duell
718:on 13 February 2013.
594:Benjamin Butterworth
437:United States Senate
405:presidential elector
363:degree in 1871 from
359:, Duell received an
134:Benjamin Butterworth
97:Commissioner of the
367:and graduated from
361:Artium Baccalaureus
823:www.ideafinder.com
754:Skeptical Inquirer
641:Charles Henry Robb
580:Arthur D. Williams
421:Theodore Roosevelt
225:Arthur D. Williams
91:Charles Henry Robb
67:Theodore Roosevelt
808:(January 6, 2011)
773:. 6 January 2011.
647:
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638:Succeeded by
608:Succeeded by
578:Succeeded by
562:Robert H. Strahan
552:Robert H. Strahan
549:Succeeded by
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214:Robert H. Strahan
191:Robert H. Strahan
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872:Internet Archive
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618:Preceded by
591:Preceded by
559:Preceded by
532:Preceded by
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473:Holland S. Duell
469:R. Holland Duell
369:Hamilton College
365:Hamilton College
317:Hamilton College
303:R. Holland Duell
290:Holland S. Duell
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269:January 29, 1920
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234:Personal details
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785:"The Friend"
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716:the original
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621:Seth Shepard
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271:(1920-01-29)
221:Succeeded by
198:
186:Succeeded by
165:
141:Succeeded by
117:Appointed by
106:
86:Succeeded by
79:Seth Shepard
62:Appointed by
51:
897:1920 deaths
892:1850 births
209:Preceded by
176:Preceded by
129:Preceded by
74:Preceded by
881:Categories
771:Patently-O
650:References
635:1905–1906
605:1898–1901
534:John Clark
511:invented."
493:threshold.
249:1850-04-13
180:John Clark
802:PATENTLYO
695:The Argus
427:(now the
395:(now the
313:Education
199:In office
166:In office
111:1898–1901
107:In office
52:In office
746:Archived
463:Personal
457:New York
385:New York
381:Syracuse
357:New York
353:Cortland
305:(father)
286:Children
280:New York
260:New York
256:Cortland
870:at the
842:at the
834:Sources
670:at the
453:Yonkers
391:of the
339:of the
276:Yonkers
296:Parent
728:e.g.
575:1880
546:1878
409:1908
266:Died
239:Born
752:,"
407:in
883::
821:.
804:,
800:,
769:.
703:^
693:.
658:^
506:.
459:.
455:,
411:.
383:,
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343:.
278:,
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852:.
825:.
680:.
251:)
247:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
