Governor Quinn Proclaims "Nick Holonyak Day" in Illinois

WHEREAS, science and technology have a profound impact on shaping our world; and,

WHEREAS, scientists and inventors are deserving of our respect and praise for their contributions to moving our world forward; and,

WHEREAS, Illinois is home to numerous prominent scientists and inventors; and,

WHEREAS, fifty years ago, in 1962, Illinois native Dr. Nick Holonyak, Jr. revolutionized the way we light our world by inventing the first practically useful visible light-emitting diode (LED), a more energy efficient, longer lasting, more durable and mercury free source of lighting; and,

WHEREAS, Nick Holonyak, Jr. was born in Zeigler, Illinois and earned his BS, MS and PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and,

WHEREAS, Dr. Holonyak was the first graduate student of two-time Nobel laureate John Bardeen, an Illinois professor who invented the transistor; and,

WHEREAS, as a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign since 1963, Dr. Holonyak and his students have developed the first quantum-well laser, creating a practical laser for fiber-optic communications, compact disc players, medical diagnosis, surgery, ophthalmology and many other applications; and,

WHEREAS, few scientists and inventors have done more to transform our lives than Nick Holonyak, Jr., the holder of over 40 patents and inventor of the light-emitting diode (LED), the red-light semiconductor laser (used in CD and DVD players) and the shorted emitter p-n-p-n switch (used in light dimmers and power tools); and,

THEREFORE, I, Pat Quinn, Governor of the State of Illinois, do hereby proclaim October 24, 2012 as NICK HOLONYAK DAY in Illinois, to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the light-emitting diode (LED) and one of our state’s greatest innovators, Dr. Nick Holonyak, “the Father of the Visible LED.”