George Sperti's Inventions Funded Research

Italian-American inventor George Sperti, best known for creating Preparation H, also invented an ultraviolet lamp and the first practical method for freeze-drying orange juice concentrate. His lamp added vitamin D to milk without altering its flavor, and General Foods bought the invention for $300,000. Sperti donated the entire payment to the University of Cincinnati and later donated most of the money from his 127 patents to research institutions. He never married and lived with his unmarried sister, Mildred, who worked as his assistant until her death in 1987.

Previous Fact Next Fact