Quotes and anectdotes from the wise to the foolish, and the courageous to the drunk

Charles Kettering Inventor

  • Gender: Male
  • Citizenship: United States
  • Born: Aug 29, 1876
  • Died: Nov 25, 1958

Charles Franklin Kettering was an American inventor, engineer, businessman, and the holder of 186 patents. He was a founder of Delco, and was head of research at General Motors from 1920 to 1947. Among his most widely used automotive inventions were the electrical starting motor and leaded gasoline. In association with the DuPont Chemical Company, he was also responsible for the invention of Freon refrigerant for refrigeration and air conditioning systems, as well as for the development of Duco lacquers and enamels, the first practical colored paints for mass-produced automobiles. While working with the Dayton-Wright Company he developed the "Bug" aerial torpedo, considered the world's first aerial missile. He led the advancement of practical, lightweight two-stroke diesel engines, revolutionizing the locomotive and heavy equipment industries. In 1927, he founded the Kettering Foundation, a non-partisan research foundation.

A person must have a certain amount of intelligent ignorance to get anywhere. intelligence

People think of the inventor as a screwball, but no one ever asks the inventor what he thinks of other people. science

We should all be concerned about the future because we will have to spend the rest of our lives there. future

The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress. change

One fails forward toward success. success

It is not a disgrace to fail. Failing is one of the greatest arts in the world. failure

I object to people running down the future. I am going to live all the rest of my life there. future

My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there. future

High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation. business

An inventor is simply a fellow who doesn't take his education too seriously. education

Our imagination is the only limit to what we can hope to have in the future. future, hope & imagination