Edward E. Hammer
Edward E. Hammer (December 27, 1931 – July 16, 2012)[1] was an engineer who was at the forefront of fluorescent lighting research.His technological contributions in incandescent, fluorescent and HID light sources earned him over 35 patents.During the energy crisis of the 1970s, he led the development of General Electric’s pioneering energy-efficient lamp.In 1976, he invented the first compact fluorescent lightbulb, but due to the difficulty of the manufacturing process for coating the interior of the spiral glass tube, GE did not manufacture or sell the device.[3] The Smithsonian Institution houses Hammer's original CFL prototype.