Hickman, Clarence Nichols, 1889-

Clarence Nichols Hickman was born 16 August 1889 near Lizton, Indiana. He met his wife Mabel Bigwood in New Albany, Indiana where he taught physics at the local high school. He lived in Indiana until 1917 when he began his graduate studies at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. It was there that he began his studies on rocket development. He received his PhD degree in 1922. Hickman joined the American Piano Company Research laboratory in 1924 to work on an improved version of the Ampico Reproducing Piano which had been invented by Charles Fuller Stoddard. He stayed with this company until 1930 when he joined Bell Telephone Laboratories. In the 1940s Hickman served as a consultant to the Army on rocket research and military weapons at Aberdeen, Maryland. After the war Hickman returned to Bell Labs and remained there until his retirement in 1950. Besides his work on weapons and pianos Hickman was an author, and made contributions in the fields of archery, and telephone and photographic equipment. Hickman passed away on 7 May 1981. Charles Fuller Stoddard was born around 1877 and in his formative years lived in Chicago, Illinois. Stoddard was an inventor and is best known for his invention of the Ampico Reproducing Piano in the 1920s. In 1930 he opened Stoddard's Restaurant in New York City. His restaurant was successful from the 1930s through the 1950s. Stoddard managed his restaurant until he suffered a stroke in 1956. Charles Stoddard passed away in 1958, leaving behind his wife Ethel.