Skip to main content

Correspondence

July 2026
1min read

The editors reply: We queried Tanya Zanish-Belcher, head of Iowa State’s archives. “According to the legal records we have here in the Atanasoff collection,” she writes, “it appears that the university lawyer (based in Chicago) responsible for obtaining a patent for Atanasoff simply dropped the ball. It is assumed that this was the direct result of the disruption of the beginning of World War II, and not any Iowa State policy.” mail@americanheritage.com PATENT FAILURE RAILS WEST RAILS WEST TEDDY AND BILL HE MADE IT THE WAR MUSEUM MULTIMEDIA, 1985 BOAT BUILDER AN OLD FRIEND YO-HO-HO AND A BOTTLE OF RYE THE UNSINKABLE MARGARET BROWN

Help us tell the story of America.

For over 75 years, American Heritage has chronicled our nation's history like no other publication. Please support our trusted, non-partisan historical writing and the volunteers that sustain it by donating today. We rely on contributions from readers like you to survive.
Donate