Lee de Forest
Lee de Forest (1873-1961) was an American inventor. His inventions helped to create radio and television. He is sometimes described as the "Father of Radio".[1] In his lifetime, he had created over 300 inventions.
Lee de Forest | |
|---|---|
 Lee de Forest c. 1904 | |
| Born | August 26, 1873 Council Bluffs, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | June 30, 1961 (aged 87) Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Yale College (Sheffield Scientific School) |
| Occupation | Inventor |
| Known for | Three-electrode vacuum-tube (Audion), sound-on-film recording (Phonofilm) |
| Spouses | Lucille Sheardown
(m. 1906; div. 1906)Mary Mayo
(m. 1912; div. 1923) |
| Relatives | Calvert DeForest (grandnephew) |
| Awards | IEEE Medal of Honor (1922) Elliott Cresson Medal (1923) IEEE Edison Medal (1946) |
Early Life
changeHe was born in 1873 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. His father was a minister. He Studied at Yale University. He studied science and got a Ph.D. in 1899.
The Audion
changeIn 1906, He invented a device called the Audion. It was a vacuum tube that could boost weak electrical signals. It was critical for making radio and television to function properly. It contained three parts: a filament, a plate, and a grid.[2]
The filament heated up and produced electrons. The plate collected electrons. The grid in the center controlled the flow of electrons. It allowed the Audion to amplify signals. Audion was included in radios, televisions, and early computers. It helped make these inventions more practical and popular.
Radio and Television
changeHe used Audion to create some of the early radio broadcasts. In 1907, he broadcast music on the radio in New York City. He also broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera House.
References
change- ↑ "De Forest—Father of Radio" by Hugo Gernsback, Radio-Craft, January 1947, p. 17.
- ↑ "The Audion; A Third Form of the Gas Detector (1908)". earlyradiohistory.us.
Other websites
change
- Lee de Forest, American Inventor (leedeforest.com)
- Lee de Forest on IMDb
- Lee de Forest biography (ethw.org)
- Lee de Forest biography at National Inventors Hall of Fame
- A Few Moments with Eddie Cantor (1923) (De Forest Phonofilm Sound Movie) on YouTube
- "Who said Lee de Forest was the 'Father of Radio'?" by Stephen Greene, Mass Comm Review, February 1991.
- "Practical Pointers on the Audion" by A. B. Cole, Sales Manager – De Forest Radio Tel. & Tel. Co., QST, March 1916, pp. 41–44. (wikisource.org)
- "A History of the Regeneration Circuit: From Invention to Patent Litigation" by Sungook Hong, Seoul National University (PDF)
- "De Forest Phonofilm Co. Inc. on White House grounds" (1924) (shorpy.com)
- Guide to the Lee De Forest Papers 1902–1953 at the University of Chicago Special Collections Research Center