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OSU Library Creates Oklahoma Patents Database

April 2, 2007

For Immediate Release

STILLWATER - The OSU Library created a database of patents issued to individuals residing in Indian and Oklahoma territory from 1880 to statehood in 1907.

“This is the first index of its kind for our state in electronic form,” said John Phillips, Head of the OSU Library Documents Department.

The project took about six months to complete and required a combination of paper and electronic resources.

“We wanted to make early Oklahoma patents easier to retrieve,” said Suzanne Holcombe, Documents Librarian. “However, it was much more difficult than we anticipated.”

The project was modeled after a similar database at the Wyoming State University Library.

“Their project paved the way,” said Holcombe.

The database ends in December 1907; roughly a month after Oklahoma became a state. The database contains over 1,450 patents, and reflects Oklahoma’s inventive population during its territorial period.

“It’s interesting to see the variety of patents. They range from agricultural improvements to airplane design,” said Phillips. “It’s also important because the database helps to identify pioneers like the first woman inventor and the first African American inventor.”

The database will be an important part of the state's Centennial celebration next year.

The database can be found at http://okinventors.library.okstate.edu/. For more information about the database or patent searching, contact John Phillips at 405-744-4869 or john.phillips@okstate.edu.

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