The AAPJ is proud to honor its Speaker Series after Examiner-in-Chief Federico in tribute to his dedication to the Board, Patent Office and the patent system. Pasquale (“Pat”) Joseph Federico was an Examiner-in-Chief on the Patent Office’s Board of Appeals from 1947-1970. During that time he  crafted, with soon-to-be Judge Giles Sutherland Rich, the 1952 Patent Act, for which he will be long remembered. He also made important contributions in the field of mathematics.

BIOGRAPHY

1902 (March 25) – born in Monessen, Pennsylvania.

~1910 – moved with family to Cleveland, Ohio.

1923 (June) – graduated with B.S. in physics from Case Institute of Technology.

1923 (September 6) – appointed a fourth assistant examiner assigned to Division 43.

Fitness determined by competitive examination held by U.S. Civil Service Commission, Washington D.C. (rated on physics, mechanical drawing, technics, applicant-selected civil, mechanical or chemical engineering, mathematics, French and German).

Division 43: all classes devoted to the human body, including dentistry, artificial body members, medicines, surgery, electrical medicine.

1924 – relocated from the Patent Office Building to the Old Land Office Building (Patent Office Annex) at 701 E. St. NW.

Entrance salary: $1,860/year.

1925 – received M.S. in mathematics from George Washington University.

1925 – married Bianca M. Morse of Cleveland.

1932 (February) – Associate Editor of the Journal of the Patent and Trademark Office Society (JPTOS).

1932 – received LL.B. from American University, Washington College of Law; member of the bars of D.C. and the Supreme Court

1935 – appointed Assistant Chief of Division 43.

1935 (July)-1942 – 10th Editor-in-Chief of the JPTOS.

1940 (July 16) – appointed Chief (“Principle Examiner”) of Division 43.

~1940 – teaches mathematics at George Washington University and a patent law class at Washington College of Law

1943 – chairman of committee to revise Patent Rules of Practice.

1946 – promoted to Law Examiner.

1946 – chairman of committee to revise Trademark Rules of Practice.

1947 (April 1) – appointed Examiner-in-Chief by President Harry S. Truman.

1949 – awarded Department of Commerce Gold Medal for exceptional service.

1953 – awarded Jefferson Gold Medal by the New Jersey Patent Law Association.

1958 – advisor to Commissioner of Patents Robert C. Watson and member of the U.S. delegation to the Conference of the Revision of the Paris Convention for Protection of Industrial Property.

1970 (May 18) – retired from the Office.

1982 (January 2) – passed away.

1982 (after January 2) – publication of “Descartes on Polyhedra – A Study of the De Solidorum Elementis,” P.J. Federico, by Springer-Verlag New York, 1982; forward by Bianca Federico. (LINK)

1993 – the Patent & Trademark Office Society established the Pasquale J. Federico Memorial Award to recognize outstanding contributions to the Patent and Trademark Systems of the United States of America.

Sources

Journal of the Patent & Trademark Office Society: https://www.jptos.org/p-j-federico.html

Judge Giles S. Rich, In Memoriam: P. J. (Pat) Federico and His Works, 85 J. Pat. & Trademark Off. Soc’y 83-91 (2003) (Reprinted from 64 JPOS 3 (Jan. 1982)) (LINK)

Judge Rich lists 4 mathematical studies and 56 patent law articles Pat authored.

Wikipedia (LINK).

Squaring.net by Stuart Anderson; Tiling by Squares webpage (LINK).