WEBSTER, N.Y. -- Xerox Corporation will honor retired scientist Christopher Snelling for surpassing the 100-U.S. patent mark in a ceremony at the company's "Wall of Fame" in the Webster R&D campus on April 18th. Snelling joins a handful of scientists in the history of the company and the world to accomplish the prestigious milestone.

Snelling, who joined Xerox (then the Haloid Company) in 1956, held the "pioneering patent" for image on image xerography. The invention is the basis for the Xerox iGen3™ Digital Production Press, a product that has revolutionized the business of colored printing.

"Individuals like Chris Snelling personify Xerox's dedication to innovation," said Sophie Vandebroek, president of Xerox's Innovation Group and the company's chief technology officer. "His work resulted in major technical achievements in areas of vital importance to the company."

Snelling, one of only 12 Xerox scientists to reach the 100-patent mark, currently holds 101 patents. He is recognized in the scientific community for his long-range foresight and creative thinking.

"Twenty years after winning the patent for image on image xerography we have a product like the iGen3," said Dale Mashtare, a research scientist who worked with Snelling. "It took literally armies of people to accomplish this, but at its root is this lone inventor of Xerox with vision."

Snelling retired from Xerox in 2000 as a research fellow and manager of a small Xerox laboratory called EXITE, which focused on exploratory xerographic process research. One of Snelling's achievements just before retirement was the invention of the acoustic transfer assist (ATA) process. This process, also used in the iGen3 family of products, enables xerographic printing onto textured paper surfaces.

"The ATA process is another example of how Chris used obscure thinking to advance xerography," Mashtare said. "He is a creative, quiet inventor, but his ideas and excitement are quite contagious."

Snelling studied Electrical Engineering at Union College before receiving his masters in applied mathematics from the University of Rochester. From 1968 to 1972 he left Xerox to join Kayex Corporation, where he oversaw the design and construction of the Kayex's first czochralski silicon crystal growing furnace. These furnaces today are used around the world to process computer chips. Snelling returned to Xerox in 1972.

Xerox Corporation operates research and technology centers in the United States, Canada and Europe that conduct work in color science, computing, digital imaging, work practices, electromechanical systems, novel materials and other disciplines connected to Xerox's expertise in printing and document management. The company consistently builds its inventions into business by embedding them in Xerox products and solutions, using them as the foundation of new businesses, or licensing or selling them to other entities. For more information, visit www.xerox.com/innovation.