06/01/2026
Did you know that the USPTO is one of the oldest federal agencies in the United States?
And we started out with just one employee: William Thornton.
Although the first patent was granted in 1790, it wasn’t anyone’s full-time job until June 1, 1802. On that day, William Thornton was appointed by President Thomas Jefferson as the first government employee to grant patents on a full-time basis. This is also considered the date the Patent Office was established, with Thornton as its first official leader.
Thornton held this position for 26 years and had a profound influence on the early development of the agency. During his tenure, he advocated for patents to be more rigorously examined. Although he would not see the establishment of a patent examination corps in his lifetime, his wishes for the office came true with the Patent Act of 1836.
Prior to his work at the Patent Office, Thornton submitted a drawing for the design of the U.S. capitol building as part of a contest. Despite having no architectural training, his design was chosen, and he is now known as the “Architect of the Capitol.” During the War of 1812, Thornton’s capitol building was burned by British troops. Famously, he was able to convince them to spare the Patent Office, citing the scientific value of the inventions held within.
