Maria Carman Campbell is the daughter of Theodore Carman and Louise Osborn. This photograph of her was taken when Maria was age 9 (photograph from the "News Tribune, Woodbridge, New Jersey, 14 August 1984), and it was what she did as a young girl that earned her her spot in the Biography section.

Theodore Carman was the Shop Foreman for Thomas Alva Edison at his Menlo Park, New Jersey laboratory. His brother's William Carman and George Carman also worked for Mr. Edison at the lab. William was the bookkeeper (Secretary).  Another of Maria's Uncles, who was occupied with other career pursuits, was General Ezra Ayres Carman.

From a radio interview with Maria Carman, which broadcast  on 1 August 1971 when Maria was 102 years old, she recited her childhood years around her father's place of work, and her first hand encounters with Thomas Edison. Among her memories was being coaxed by Edison to reciting for Mr. Edison into his machine, the words that Edison himself had made famous when he invented it just shortly before- "Mary had a little lamb" . The "talking machine". We know it today as a record player (for us who can remember vinyl records).

The full newspaper article can be found at  http://www.jhalpin.com/metuchen/tae/campbell.htm  This link to his website is used with permission of James Halpin, the webmaster - thanks Jim.