The Edison Pioneers was an organization composed of former employees of
Thomas Edison who had worked with the inventor in his early years. Membership was limited to people who had worked closely with Edison before 1885.[1]
On February 11, 1918, the Edison Pioneers met for the first time, on the 71st birthday of Edison. There were 37 people at the first meeting.
Edison himself was not present; it was announced he was "engaged in important government service".[2]
It was suspected he was working on a military project since
World War I was still in progress.[2] The organization had 100 members although in later years descendants of Edison Pioneers were also allowed membership.
^
abcdef"The Edison Pioneers". Transactions of the Illuminating Engineering Society. Vol. 14, no. 1. February 10, 1919. p. 4. Retrieved January 13, 2011.
^"MAJ. HAMMER DIES; AN EDISON PIONEER; Won Distinction as Engineer, Scientist and General Staff Officer in War". The New York Times. March 25, 1934.
^"FRANCIS JEHL DIES; AN EDISON PIONEER; As Inventor's Personal Aide Was Important Factor In Developing Electric Light BUILT EUROPEAN SYSTEMS Abroad 40 Years -- Wrote Two Books on Edison — Curator of Ford's Menlo Park Exhibit". The New York Times. February 11, 1941.
^"H. W. Nelson Dead. An Edison Pioneer. He Helped Build
Shakespeare Theatre at Stratford and Brought Players Here". The New York Times. January 26, 1934.
^Lindez, David Sheihan (2013) The Right Rev Henry V.A. Parsell, The Rose Circle Journal, NY, NY
^"CHARLES E. PATTISON DIES.; Consulting Electrical Engineer, an Edison Pioneer, Was 64". The New York Times. November 3, 1928.
^"The Edison Pioneers". Engineering world: a journal of engineering and construction. Vol. 20. January 1922. p. 46. Retrieved January 13, 2011.