Martha J.B. Thomas

Born: 1926

Died: 2006

Field of Study: Chemistry

Achievements: held over 20 patents for improving lighting technology and manufacturing, covering for example fluorescent lamps and phosphor chemistry. One of her most important contributions was the development of a white phosphorus powder coating for fluorescent tubes creating a much more daylight-like light. She also developed a phosphor-based treatment that increase the brightness of mercury lamps by 10%.