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Felix Hertzka (r.) and Bob Rines enjoyed the May 11, 2002 Young Inventors Celebration (YIP) in Pennecook, N.H., just days before an automobile accident took Felix from our midst.
Academy of Applied Science
SPARKS:2002
Felix Hertzka's Legacy
by Robert Rines
Felix Hertzka served for almost 30 years as an active member of the Academy's boards of advisors on technology transfer until his untimely death in an automobile accident on May 22, 2002. One of Felix's greatest passions was education. On the local level, in his hometown of Amherst, N.H., he was a dedicated member of the school board. On the national level, he was involved with the Academy's youth science and invention encouraging national programs, particularly the annual New Hampshire Young Inventors' Celebration. He delighted in speaking with the children at the annual celebration, and his eyes twinkled as he listened to them explain their inventions.
Felix was an early member of my Franklin Pierce Law Center board, after I founded the Center with the Academy's assistance. One memorable experience that we shared was a trip to Beijing in the 1980s. We met with Ambassador Winston Lord at the American embassy who assisted us in consummating invention development agreements with Chinese universities and technical governmental agencies. The trip was well timed. We were also able to award the first Masters in Intellectual Property degrees to the Chinese administrators who had attended the Law Center's initial patent and technology transfer program in Concord, N.H.
An astute businessman, Felix knew first hand the difficulties that inventors faced as they worked to commercialize their inventions. He headed the Academy's Promotion of Advanced Commercial Technology (PACT) program, which was specifically designed to help inventors navigate the rough waters of new product development. In recent months, PACT turned part of its thrust to identifying ideas that may be useful in America's war against terrorism. Through PACT, Academy associate Al Carbone's disabling but non-lethal ammunition is now under government evaluation. The President's Chief of Staff Andrew Card was influential in getting Carbone's invention before the right people. Other PACT inventions that could help in the war against terrorism are Chris Muise's remote vehicle disabling technology and John Romanowski's fire and chemical repellent fabrics.
Felix Hertzka was a man of gentle spirit who worked diligently to make the world a better place. He will be sorely missedbut his ideas and programs will continue to flourish.
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? ? Felix Hertzka (r.) and Bob Rines enjoyed the May 11, 2002 Young Inventors Celebration (YIP) in Pennecook, N.H., just days before an automobile accident took Felix from our midst. |
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