Hewitt, Peter Cooper

Hewitt, Peter Cooper

(hyo͞o`ĭt), 1861–1921, American scientist and inventor, b. New York City; son of Abram S. HewittHewitt, Abram Stevens
, 1822–1903, American industrialist and political leader, b. Haverstraw, N.Y. He became a lawyer, and friendship with a son and marriage to a daughter of Peter Cooper shaped his career.
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 and grandson of Peter CooperCooper, Peter,
1791–1883, American inventor, industrialist, and philanthropist, b. New York City. After achieving success in the glue business, Cooper, with two partners, erected (1829) the Canton Iron Works in Baltimore.
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. He invented a mercury-vapor lamp and a mercury arc rectifier. Hewitt also developed a pilotless airplane, intended for military bombing, in 1916 with Elmer SperrySperry, Elmer Ambrose,
1860–1930, American inventor, b. Cortland, N.Y. Although probably best known for his work on the gyroscope, he also invented the gyrocompass (1910), an extremely effective high-intensity searchlight, a new system of street lighting, and numerous
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 and a helicopter in 1917 with Francis B. Crocker.