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Emily C. Duncan

1849 – 1934

American inventor

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About Emily C. Duncan

Lived 1849 – 1934 (aged 84–85). Emily C. Duncan was an American inventor.

Emily Cornelius Duncan (; born 1849) was an American inventor who received two patents in 1903 and 1904 for banking-related calculators.

Duncan was born in Coral, Illinois as Emily Cornelius Forbes and later resided in Centralia, Wisconsin (which later became Wisconsin Rapids) and Jennings, Louisiana. She invented new banking calculators and was mentioned in Inventive Age magazine in February 1905. Duncan was recognized as one of many women who worked in the age of technology before the actual computer. She was married to inventor James Eugene Duncan and although he was believed to be the only inventor in the family written accounts from her granddaughter indicated she assisted her husband with numerous inventions.

Based on her written statement provided in the original patent application she stated that her goal was to provide a "simple and readily understood structure with which computations ordinarily requiring considerable time and care may be accurately and quickly made". The other objective of her invention was "to provide a device of the above character in which parts may be readily substituted, so that computations of different kinds may be made".

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Important facts

Born
1849, Coral
Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Also known as
Emily Cornelius Duncan, Emily Cornelius Forbes

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Emily C. Duncan's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Emily C. Duncan?

American inventor

When was Emily C. Duncan born?

Emily C. Duncan was born in 1849 in Coral.

When did Emily C. Duncan die?

Emily C. Duncan died on 20 November 1934.

What was Emily C. Duncan's occupation?

Emily C. Duncan was an inventor.

What nationality was Emily C. Duncan?

Emily C. Duncan was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Emily C. Duncan

· Wikidata: Q19664510

· DBpedia: Emily C. Duncan

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Emily C. Duncan. https://biography.guide/emily-c-duncan/

MLA: "Emily C. Duncan." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/emily-c-duncan/.

Chicago: "Emily C. Duncan." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/emily-c-duncan/.

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