Wilson Greatbatch Exhibit
Wilson Greatbatch invented the implantable cardiac pacemaker that is today used around the world. The Clarence Historical Museum has his original small red barn set up as it was as he worked and perfected the cardiac pacemaker in the early 1960’s. It includes the original work bench, a small pot belly stove that kept his workshop warm, along with his doctor’s bag that he would take with him into the operating room. The museum houses instruments of his such as the calorimeter and his early to modern cardiac pacemakers.
Due to Mr. Greatbatch’s breakthrough invention that has saved lives he has been awarded many awards. The Clarence Historical Museum showcases these as well and includes the National Medal of Technology that he was award in 1990 by than President George H. W Bush. He considered himself a tinkerer whose many innovations resulted in the patenting of over 350. His resourcefulness resulted in his induction into the Inventors Hall of Fame in 1986.
Sadly, Wilson Greatbatch died on September 27, 2025 at the age of 92. His invention that has saved millions of lives has been called one of the greatest medical inventions of the 20th century. Mr. Greatbatch’s legacy lives on in the Clarence Historical Museum where visitors from around the world have come to see the humble beginnings of this famous and humble mans’ contribution to society.
