Biography of Thomas Alva Edison

Thomas Edison was hailed world-wide as “The wizard of Menlo Park”, “The father of the electrical age,” and “The greatest inventor who ever lived.”

At age seven – after spending 12 weeks in a noisy one-room schoolhouse with 38 other students of all ages – Tom’s overworked and short tempered teacher finally lost his patience with the child’s relatively self centered behavior and persistent questioning. Noting that Tom’s forehead was exceptionally broad and his head was larger than average, he made no secret of his belief that the hyperactive youngster’s brains were "addled" or scrambled.

If modern psychology had existed back then, Tom would have probably been deemed a victim of ADS (attention deficit syndrome) and proscribed a hefty dose of the “miracle drug” Ritalin. Instead, when his beloved mother – whom he recalled “was the making of me….[because she was always so true and so sure of me and always made me feel I had someone to live for and must not disappoint.” –became aware of the situation, she promptly withdrew him from school and began to “home-teach” him. Not surprisingly, she remained convinced her son’s slightly unusual physical appearance and demeanor was simply a sign of his intelligence.

By Gerald Beals Copyright © 1999 all Rights Reserved

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