With the encouragement of his instructor , Dean Robert H. Thurston , Spicer applied for .
With the encouragement of his instructor , Dean Robert H. Thurston , Spicer received a patent for a practical automotive universal joint on May 19 , 1903 .
With the encouragement of his instructor , Dean Robert H. Thurston , Spicer applied for and received a patent for a practical automotive universal joint on May 19 , 1903 .