Is there a word for this?

Second Best.

Al Gore?

Forgotten by history?

Stooge

Fire: Good one.

Unoriginator?

I’m NEARLY certain there is a word for it in German (there are too many German words for this type of thing) but i can’t find it right now.

Ack. Think, little German one. Think!

Ach! It’ll take me a while

back to American
Reinventor

I like that one.

Co-Ventor?

forebearer? leading proponent?

Also-ran.

Elisha Gray.

Independent repeater.

Leibnitz vs. Newton: The Calculus Controversy.
Alan Hale vs. Thomas Bop:The Comet Controversy

edit: that’s Bopp (de rebopp).

Gail: Good examples!
Though I see less problems with discovering something versus inventing something (simultaneously).
(I am in the math-is-a-discovery camp versus the math-is-an-invention camp.)

You mean like this?

MY grandfinkel, Ben Finkel, claimed to have been the sole inventor, until we dug up the patent info last year.

Exactly!