Portrait of Francis R. Upton at Menlo Park, 1879

Thomas Edison recruited talented assistants to his Menlo Park Laboratory to help develop and realize his innovative ideas. In 1878, Edison hired Francis Upton, an American mathematician and physicist. Upton conducted scientific research and performed advanced calculations to convert ideas into workable inventions. Upton continued to collaborate with Edison into the early 20th century, long after the Menlo Park years.