It was founded in 2013 by Dr. Paul R. Sanberg, senior vice president for research and innovation at USF, and is one of five state-specific halls of fame dedicated to inventors in the United States.

In April 2014, State Senator Jeff Brandes sponsored the recognition of it, honoring the hall of fame for its commitment to invention, discovery, innovation, and excellence.

[4] The first inductees included historic inventors Thomas Edison (who had a laboratory in Fort Myers, Florida),[5] Robert Cade,[6][7] John Gorrie, and William Glenn,[8][9][10] as well as currently active scientists, Shin-Tson Wu, and Shyam Mohapatra.

[16][17] Wu is most notable for improving liquid crystal displays which are used in the screens of appliances like computers, smart phones, and televisions.

[18][19][20] Another living inductee was Shyam Mohapatra, a pioneer in the field of biomedical nanotechnology and a USF Health Distinguished Professor at the University of South Florida as well as research scientist at the James A. Haley VA Medical Center.