Moen

Lately, the obituaries have given me pause. Today, the New York Times reported that the inventor of the single-handle faucet died. The inventor's name was Alfred Moen, and he was 84. Mr. Moen told his company's newsletter: "...you ought to be able to get what you want out of a faucet. The more I thought about it, the more I was convinced that a single-handled mixing faucet was the answer, so I began to make some drawings." He had to convince a metal products company to build his design, and it originally sold for $12.

Fast forward: Moen, Inc. is one of the world's major producers of plumbing products. It's presently a division of Fortune Brands.

Mr. Moen did not finish college. He held some 200 patents, and served as the head of research and development until 1982, when he retired. Now this is a life!