mapping, in particular, to screen for breast cancer. He participated in the discovery of smectic C liquid crystal phase. Twisted nematic liquid crystal displays were superior to the earlier dynamic scattering displays, and soon became widespread. The technology was patented in the United States by Fergason in 1971. He formed his own company, ILIXCO, in 1968 to manufacture liquid crystal displays. His first customers were the Bulova Watch Company and Gruen Watch Company which used the technology to market the first LCD watches using this technology. By the end of the decade, most of the world's digital watches used this kind of LCD. Fergason held over 150 patents in the United States and over 500 foreign patents. He also was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. In 2001, he founded Fergason Patent Properties, which managed licensing of his patents. In 2001, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Missouri, in 2006 he was the recipient of the Lemelson-MIT Prize, in 2007 he was awarded the David Richardson Medal by the Optical Society of America, and in 2008 he received the Jun-Ichi Nishizawa Medal from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Death Fergason died at age 74. He was survived by his wife Dora and their four children, Teresa, Jeffrey, John and Susan, and his 11 grandchildren. References Sources Liquid Crystal Display - James Fergason (About.com Inventors) James Fergason: Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) (Lemelson-MIT Program) James Fergason (Lemelson-MIT Prize) 1934 births 2008 deaths American inventors Lemelson–MIT Prize People from Carroll County, Missouri University of Missouri alumni University of Missouri physicists People from Carrollton, Missouri