James Goodfellow
Great BritainBiography of James Goodfellow
James Goodfellow is a Scottish engineer and inventor, best known for developing and patenting the ATM (Automated Teller Machine) authentication system. He was born in Paisley, Scotland and received his education in his hometown and later in Glasgow.
Early Career
Goodfellow began his career working for Kelvin Hughes, a company founded by William Thomson (1824-1907), which is now part of Smith's Industries. It was during his time at Kelvin Hughes that Goodfellow developed a device for automated cash dispensing.
The ATM Invention
Goodfellow's invention was an ATM that accepted cardboard cards, with specific areas marked with a radioactive isotope (carbon-14) as the information carriers. The machine was also equipped with a keypad for entering a personal identification number (PIN). He patented his invention in the United Kingdom on May 2, 1966, under the number 1,197,183.
Patent Priority
Goodfellow's demonstration of a test model, commissioned by De La Rue, took place one month after a similar project by another Scottish inventor, John Shepherd-Barron, who had previously developed other models of cash dispensing machines. However, Goodfellow holds the patent priority for the PIN code.
Recognition
In 2006, James Goodfellow was awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in recognition of his contributions to the invention of the PIN code. This prestigious honor highlighted his significant impact on the field of banking and financial technology.
