History of Autopen in Timeline
An autopen is a mechanical device that automates the signing of a signature. Popular among public figures, especially celebrities who frequently receive autograph requests, autopens enable them to provide signatures on demand without personally signing each one. This technology helps manage the high volume of signature requests and allows for efficient distribution of autographs.
1937: Robot Pen becomes commercially available
In 1937, the autopen called the Robot Pen became commercially available. It was used as a storage unit device, similar in principle to how vinyl records store information, to record a signer's signature.
1942: First commercially successful autopen developed by Robert M. De Shazo Jr.
In 1942, Robert M. De Shazo Jr. developed the first commercially successful autopen in reference to a Request For Quote (RFQ) from the Navy and received an order for the machine from the Secretary of the Navy. This marked the beginning of a significant market in government for the autopen.
1968: Lyndon Johnson Autopen Acknowledged
In 1968, Lyndon Johnson allowed photographs of his autopen to be taken while he was in office. The National Enquirer ran them along with the front-page headline "The Robot That Sits In For The President."
2004: Donald Rumsfeld autopen controversy
In 2004, then U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld faced criticism when it was discovered his office used an autopen to sign letters of condolence to families of American soldiers killed in war.
2005: George W. Bush Receives DOJ Opinion on Autopen
In 2005, George W. Bush requested and received a favorable opinion from the Department of Justice regarding the constitutionality of using the autopen, but he did not use it himself.
January 3, 2013: Obama Uses Autopen to Sign Bush Tax Cuts
On January 3, 2013, President Barack Obama used an autopen to sign the extension to the Bush tax cuts while vacationing in Hawaii, raising questions about the constitutional validity of the action.
2019: Bob Dylan Artworks Signed with Autopen
In 2019, some prints of Bob Dylan's artwork sold after this year were signed with an autopen. Dylan attributed his use of the machine to vertigo and the COVID-19 pandemic, which prevented him from meeting with staff to facilitate signing the works in question.
November 2022: Bob Dylan Autopen Controversy
In November 2022, copies of Bob Dylan's book, "The Philosophy of Modern Song", were found to be signed with an autopen, causing criticism. The autographed editions were marketed as "hand-signed" and sold for $600 each.
May 2024: Biden uses Autopen for FAA funding extension
In May 2024, Joe Biden directed an autopen be used to sign legislation providing a one-week funding extension for the Federal Aviation Administration. Biden was traveling in San Francisco at the time.
