On Jun. 1, 1802, the U.S. Secretary of State appointed Dr. William Thornton as first clerk at the Department of State, giving him sole responsibility over patent review and issuing – effectively beginning the first patent office, today known as the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Thornton’s administration of the Patent Office was tumultuous, operating under the Patent Act of 1793 that provided no examination of the merits of inventions. He thought patent applications should be examined. He attempted to discourage applicants if he thought their inventions were already known or copied from earlier inventions.

He granted patents to himself and named himself as a co-inventor with others. He had a bitter dispute with steamboat inventor Robert Fulton that presented a conflict of interest for Thornton because of his association with inventor John Fitch.

Thornton developed a patent reissue practice that was upheld by the courts and still exists today. His view that patents should be kept secret until they expired was eventually overruled.

Today, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is housed under the U.S. Department of Commerce.