Norman McCombs (born c. 1937) is a businessman and 2013 recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. McCombs developed an oxygen production system that helped ease the pain of millions suffering from lung diseases. President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

presented the medal to McCombs on February 1, 2013 at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

Early life and education

McCombs was born in 1937 in

Amherst, New York Amherst () is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. Amherst is an inner ring suburb of Buffalo. As of 2020, the town had a total population of 129,595. This represents an increase from 122,366 as reported in the 2010 census. The second ...

. He graduated in 1956 from

Amherst Central High School Amherst Central High School (ACHS) is a public High school (North America), high school in Snyder, New York, Snyder, New York (state), New York, United States, a Hamlet (New York), hamlet within the town of Amherst, New York, Amherst, which is wit ...

, where he also met his wife, Grace. He then enrolled at

Erie Community College SUNY Erie is a public community college with three campuses in western New York that serve residents in and near Erie County. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system and has locations in Williamsville (North Campus), Bu ...

where he graduated in 1958 with an associate degree in electrical engineering. After years of research, McCombs enrolled at the

State University of New York at Buffalo The State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly called the University at Buffalo (UB) and sometimes called SUNY Buffalo, is a public research university with campuses in Buffalo and Amherst, New York. The university was founded in 1846 ...

earning a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1968.

Research and Invention

McCombs developed a Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) system that produced oxygen. The device is primarily used to treat people suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Awards

2005: Lifetime Achievement Award from the

American Intellectual Property Law Association The American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), headquartered in Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia, is a U.S., voluntary bar association constituted primarily of lawyers in private and corporate practice, in government service, and i ...

2006: Distinguished Alumni Award from

2007: University of Buffalo Engineering Alumni Association’s Engineer of the Year Award
2007: Thomas A. Edison Patent Award awarded by the

ASME The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via "continuing ...

2013: National Medal of Technology and Innovation awarded by

President Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McCombs, Norman University at Buffalo alumni 1937 births People from Amherst, New York Living people Amherst Central High School Alumni