Alfred P. Sloan, Inventor of the Modern Corporation

"His ideas were so clearly correct that we have forgotten that they were an invention." These are the words Dr. Schein of MIT's Alfred P. Sloan School of Management uses to sum up the contributions of Alfred Sloan. Sometimes inventions that come in the form of ideas are so significant to our society that we actually forget they were invented at one point in time. Alfred Sloan's conception of the modern American corporation is one of these inventions.

Learn how Alfred Sloan changed the way people view corporations

Small Business Administration: Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs)

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is a program of the U.S. Government's Small Business Administration that provides assistance to small business owners (and to those thinking about starting a small business) in areas such as business start up, management and growth.

Find out why an inventor might benefit from visiting a local SBDC

How did Procter and Gamble get Ivory soap to float?

Until recently, the legend was that a production plant employee allowed a mixing machine to run too long. But in June 2004, Procter and Gamble company archivist, Ed Rider, discovered that P&G chemist James N. Gamble made floating soap in 1863. Ivory soap was released in 1878 or 79 and they added this feature as a selling point. Procter and Gamble sets the record straight in Rising Tide: Lessons from 165 Years of Brand Building at Procter and Gamble, a book about the 165 year history of the company that was released in summer 2004.

Take our invention history quiz to learn more inventing trivia and fun facts