Franklin College Alum Heading to Inventors Hall of Fame

Franklin College alumnus James Sprague will be posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in May. Sprague was selected for his work with the Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Laboratories team that introduced thiazide diuretics, the first class of drugs to safely treat high blood pressure. 

“The National Inventors Hall of Fame honors the innovation game-changers who have transformed our world,” said NIHF CEO Michael Oister. “Through inventions as diverse as life-saving medicines and web browsers for the visually impaired, these superhero innovators have made significant advances in our daily lives and well-being.”

Sprague earned his bachelor’s degree from Franklin in 1930 and was later awarded an honorary doctorate of science in 1954. Sprague was responsible for 27 U.S. patents and several foreign patents for Merck. He died in 2000 at the age of 91. The induction ceremony is set for May 2 at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.