ShowsKent Copeman
Expert on Lloyd Groff Copeman, Inventor March 7, 2025 Kent Copeman, the grandson of one of the most prolific yet forgotten inventors in American history, visits the Aquarium to chat with Fish. In his lifetime, Lloyd Groff Copeman patented over 650 inventions; for comparison, Thomas Edison leads this record with 1,073 patents.
Many of Lloyd's innovations are things we take for granted today: the electric toaster, automotive lubricant, the electric stove/range, the retractable clothesline, an early form of microwave oven, and the flexible ice tray! He lived right here in Flint when he created his famous Copeman Electric Stove, with the plant being located in Flint's first brick building aka 'The Scotch Building'. It sits on the site of today's Northbank Center. Copeman went in to business with J. Dallas Dort and William C. "Billy" Durant, two of the most illustrious and legendary Flintstones. Durant was also involved in creating the Frigidaire company as well. For his part, Dort was responsible for raising $500,000 to fund Copeman's firm, with 22 investors. To put that into perspective, that's equal to 16 million today. As a long time member of the Detroit Athletic Center, Copeman spent considerable time there kibbutzing with Durant, Dort, Walter Chrysler, The Dodge Brothers, the Fisher Brothers (of Fisher Body), and the only person to outdo him in patents, Thomas Edison Copeman's daughter Ruth Mary, like Billy Durant, attended Flint Central High School. Her daughter, Lloyds grand daughter, Linda Ronstadt went on to become one of rock and roll's all time great female talents with the Stone Poneys and her own solo career. She made the cover of the Rolling Stone, and Time Magazine, won multiple Grammy awards, and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, she was once called "The Queen of Rock and Roll". Linda visited her grandparents often in Flint. So to sum it up, Flint and Flint Central High School can take credit for General Motors, Buick, Chevrolet, AC Spark Plug, the toaster, microwave oven, electric stove and Linda Ronstadt! Incredible! Lloyd Copeman should be forgotten no more. And here in The Aquarium of Fish and The Flint Chronicles, he joins the ultimate pantheon of our greatest stories! By https://www.lloydcopeman.com/pictures/lloyd1.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51338588
Fish with Kent
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Lloyd Groff Copeman
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