One of Caterpillar Inc.’s founding fathers is being recognized for his ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit with induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

At a news conference in Washington, D.C., the Hall of Fame has announced it is posthumously honoring Benjamin Holt for ushering in the modern era of mechanized farming and construction with his “Traction Engine.”

Holt’s invention was inspired by the plight of California farmers who found wheels ineffective in preventing heavy equipment from sinking into the soft, muddy soil. Holt designed a track-laying system to disperse weight and provide better traction, producing in 1904 the prototype of the first practical track-type tractor.

The photographer who documented one of its first successful tests dubbed the machine the “caterpillar,” inspiring the company name and launching the Caterpillar brand.

“Holt invented the tracks, but he also set the standard for innovation and quality that all of Team Caterpillar aspires to in 2006 and beyond,” said Robert T. Williams, Caterpillar vice president with responsibility for the company’s flagship Track-Type Tractors Division.

The company is beginning an internal inventor award program, recognizing engineers who acquire 15 or more patents in the course of their Caterpillar careers. Caterpillar has more than 3,800 inventors who have contributed to more than 6,800 granted U.S. patents for Caterpillar, with approximately 1,200 U.S. patents alone granted within the past five years.

The Holt Manufacturing Company merged with competitor C. L. Best Tractor Co. in 1925, forming the Caterpillar Tractor Co., predecessor to modern-day Caterpillar Inc.

Used extensively in the U.S., French, and British armies in World War I and World War II, the track-type tractor was used to haul men and supplies across the battlefield.

From 1914 to 1918, 10,000 Caterpillar tractors were made by The Holt Manufacturing Company and other licensed manufacturers for use in the war. It was one of the inspirations for the design of the British tank, which altered ground warfare tactics.

At the end of World War II, Admiral William F. “Bull” Halsey, Commander, Third Fleet, touted, “The four machines that won the war in the Pacific were the submarine, radar, the airplane and the tractor-bulldozer.”

For more information, visit www.cat.com.

(This story appears courtesy of PRNewswire-FirstCall.)

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