Ernst Alexanderson

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Ernst Alexanderson
Uppsala, Sweden
DiedMay 14, 1975(1975-05-14) (aged 97)
Schenectady, New York, United States
NationalitySwedish
Awards
Scientific career
FieldsElectrical engineering

Ernst Frederick Werner Alexanderson (January 25, 1878 – May 14, 1975) was a

Second World War for controlling anti-aircraft guns.[3]

Background

Alexanderson was born in

Radio Corporation of America.[5]

Engineering work

Alexanderson designed the

Brant Rock, Massachusetts. By fall its output had been improved to 500 watts and 75 kHz. On Christmas Eve, 1906, Fessenden made an experimental broadcast of Christmas music, including him playing the violin, that was heard by Navy ships and shore stations down the East Coast as far as Arlington. This is considered the first AM radio entertainment broadcast.[6][7]

Alexanderson continued improving his machine, and the Alexanderson alternator became widely used in high power

Grimeton radio station outside Varberg, Sweden. It is a prime example of pre-electronic radio technology and was added as a UNESCO's World Heritage Site list in 2004.[8]

Alexanderson was also instrumental in the development of

Schenectady, N.Y.[9] The following year he developed the coordination of sound and movement on the first television drama, The Queen's Messenger. In 1930, he conducted an early public demonstration of his large screen television system on a closed-circuit channel at Proctors in Schenectady.[10][11][12][13][14]

Alexanderson retired from General Electric in 1948. The inventor and engineer remained active to an advanced age. He continued television research as a consultant for the Radio Corporation of America filing his 321st patent application in 1955. Over his lifetime, Alexanderson received 345 US patents, the last filed in 1968 at age 89. He died in 1975 and was buried at

Schenectady, New York.[15][16]

Alexanderson is also mentioned in connection with the emergence of the patent system, that he was partially critical to. As the technology historian David Noble writes:[17]

The change in the focus of the patent system, from the protection of the inventor to the protection of the corporation which either employed the inventor or purchased his patents, was succinctly phrased by E.F.W. Alexanderson, a Swedish immigrant who became one of GE's early leading research engineers. "The patent system was established, I believe", he said, "to protect the lone inventor. In this it has not succeeded ... the patent system protects the institutions which favor invention".

Kidnapping incident

In 1923, Alexanderson's son, Verner, was kidnapped. Alexanderson broadcast an appeal for help on the radio. The child was located after three days and returned to his family.[18] The kidnappers were later caught.

Honors

Patents

Ernst was very active and got a total of 345

patents granted.[23][24]

See also

References

  1. ^ "IRE Medal of Honor Winners 1917–1963". IEEE History Center. 2011. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  2. ^ "The March of Science", The New York Times Current History, May 1920, page 266.
  3. ^ "Ernst F. W. Alexanderson". Soylent Communications. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  4. ^ Westerberg, H. E. (1918). "Ernst F W Alexanderson". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). Vol. 1. Stockholm: National Archives of Sweden. p. 381.
  5. ^ Cafe, Kirt Blattenberger RF (September 1930). "Men Who Have Made Radio – E. F. W. Alexanderson". Radio-Craft. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  6. ^ "Ernest Frederick Werner Alexanderson (1878–1975)". Famous Scientist Blog. January 31, 2010. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  7. ^ John S. Belrose (September 1994). "Fessenden and the Early History of Radio Science". The Radioscientist – volume 5 number 3. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  8. ^ "Dr. Ernst Alexanderson, Pioneer Inventor" Barry Mishkind (Oldradio.com) accessed April 10, 2006
  9. ^ "Dr Ernst Frederick Werner Alexanderson". Cherished Television UK. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  10. ISBN 9780767913218
    . Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  11. ^ "Initial Public Exhibit Gives New Impetus to Television". The Daily Gazette. May 23, 1930. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  12. ^ "Alexanderson wins royal Danish medal". The Daily Gazette. November 23, 1946. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  13. ISBN 978-0-19-007128-8
    . Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  14. ISBN 9780231512183
    . Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  15. ^ https://www.nytimes.com/1975/05/15/archives/dr-ernst-alexanderson-radio-pioneer-dies-at-97.html
  16. ^ "Ernst F. W. Alexanderson, Biography". Engineering and Technology History. January 31, 2010. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  17. ^ Noble 1977, pp. 87–88.
  18. ^ Carl Johnson (June 12, 2013). "The Return of Verner".
  19. ^ List of recipients of the IEEE Edison Medal
  20. S2CID 29242098
    .
  21. ^ National Inventor's Hall of Fame Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine citation accessed April 10, 2006
  22. ^ Biography at IEEE History Center accessed February 18, 2015
  23. ISBN 91-972360-6-3
  24. ISBN 978-0-19-502618-4
    .

Other sources

Related reading

External links

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