Welcome to FunTrivia's Question & Answer forum!

Search All Questions

Please cite any factual claims with citation links or references from authoritative sources. Editors continuously recheck submissions and claims.

Archived Questions

Which patent did Joseph Durham and Edward O'Reilly file together?

Question #149372. Asked by BigTriviaDawg.
Last updated May 27 2023.
Originally posted May 27 2023 9:12 PM.

psnz

Answer has 3 votes

Currently Best Answer

psnz

4 year member
783 replies avatar

Answer has 3 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.

Durham and O'Reilly patented the mortarboard (graduation headwear).

Joseph Durham was a Catholic priest, while Edward O'Reilly was an inventor. They used fibreglass to increase the stiffness of this piece of "graduation gear."

Mortarboards are shaped like a square, perhaps to give them a scholarly appearance like a book or to represent the shape of a quad on the campus of England's Oxford University, where many graduation dress customs are believed to have originated. Typically, the mortarboard is worn with one corner facing forward, like a diamond.

https://www.hammondandharperoflondon.com/the-catholic-origins-of-the-graduation-cap/

May 27 2023, 9:20 PM

Sign in or Create Free User ID to participate in the discussion

Which patent did Joseph Durham and Edward O'Reilly file together?

Other Similar Questions & Answers

Related FunTrivia Quizzes