Fessenden, Reginald A., Papers - North Carolina Digital Collections

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Title

Fessenden, Reginald A., Papers

Local Call Number

PC.1140

MARS ID

167

Slot*! an of Ariljtofe mnb ЖяппяхгЦИ* Srparinunt of Arrhtara anil Htatorg Collection: FESSEMDES, ВЕШШ) A*# PAPERS Massachusetts Bermuda 1887-1935 p г 1140.1 * Щ0.ЮЗ I>U. ni.r* .nj i «- Physical Description: Lefcters* notebooks, blueprints, photographs, patents, legal briefs and decision files, newspaper and magazine clippings, asps, magazines, and panphlets. 95 flbredex boxes end 8 sap containers. Acauisition* &*** *У Begiaald K. Fessenden (son), Hadisohi, Connecticut* Because of Reginald A. Fessenden* s pioneer radio work on Roanoke Island in 1901-1902, the Department of Archives and History, at the suggestion of the Fessenden national Kemorial Association, requested his son to deposit the inventor's papers in the Archives. This he agreed to do, and the papers were subsequently received in August, 1944* For additional information relative to the acquisition of the Fessenden papers, see i Department of Archives and History, Director's Office, General Correspondence, 1901-1952, box 183, folder ** Material Received* I Description: ■^®ae 6ЙГ the papers of Reginald Aubrey Fessenden, American inventor and physicist. Reginald Aubrey Fessenden (1886-1932) 1866, October 6 1884 1887-4889 1890, September 18904892 18924893 18934899 1902-1911 19Ю-19Э2 Born, Quebec, Canada Principal, tthitney Institute, Bermuda Chief chemist, Edison laboratory, Orange, Hew Jersey Married Helen Hay Trott of Bermuda Chief electrician, Westingtouee Plant, Pittsfield, Massachusetts Professor of electrical engineering, Purdue University Prof осек» of eleotrieal engineering, YJeatarn University of Pennsylvania National Electric Signaling Company formed to promote his inventions and enable him to do further research Consulting engineer, Submarine Signaling Company

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Title

Fessenden, Reginald A., Papers

Rights

The SA of NC considers this item in the public domain by U.S. law but responsibility for permissions rests with researchers.

Description

Reginald Aubrey Fessenden (October 6, 1866-July 22, 1932) was an American inventor and physicist whose career was varied and colorful. Born in Quebec, Canada, he was educated in schools in Canada and the United States. After two years as principal of Whitney Institute in Bermuda, he went to New York to develop his scientific interest through practical experience. After a year's work as tester for Edison Machine Works, in 1887 he was made chief chemist of the Edison Laboratory at Orange, New Jersey. In 1890 he went to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, as chief electrician for the Westinghouse plant there. He was professor of electrical engineering at Purdue University, 1892, and at Western University of Pennsylvania, 1893-1899. Fessenden came to North Carolina in 1900 under the auspices of the United States Weather Bureau to conduct experiments in wireless telegraphy on Roanoke Island. His two years' work here attracted considerable publicity and corresponded in time with the experiments of the Wright Brothers in that locality. In 1902 Fessenden formed the National Electric Signaling Company with Darwin S. Wolcott, patent attorney, and T. H. Given and Hay Walker, Jr., financial backers, the purpose of the company being to promote Fessenden's inventions. He left the company in 1911; and after years of litigation, lost his legal fight to gain the right to use his patents privately. It was reported that the company later sold these patents to Radio Corporation of America for three million dollars. Fessenden had many vigorous legal battles over his patent rights, the most outstanding case being that known as the "Combination Suit." In this dispute, Fessenden successfully brought a charge of illegal use of his patents against a combination of eight of the country's leading electrical companies. Fessenden served as consulting engineer for the Submarine Signaling Company from 1910 until his death in 1932, and, also, for several promi- nent electrical companies at various times during that period. He was married to Helen May Trott in 1890, and they had one son, Reginald Kennelly Fessenden. The inventor died in Bermuda. His biography, Fessenden, Builder of Tomorrows, written by his wife, was published in 1940. Fessenden's patents number over five hundred, mostly in the field of radio. He is recognized as the originator of the continuous wave principle in wireless transmission, and, also, as the inventor of the heterodyne system of reception. From his Brant Rock experimental station, Fessenden made the first known radio broadcast of speech and music on Christmas Eve, 1906. The same year, he established what was said to be the first two-way trans-Atlantic wireless telegraphic contact, between Brant Rock, Massachusetts, and Machrihanish, Scotland. Among his better known inventions in fields other than radio are the fathometer (or sonic depth finder for ships), the smoke cloud for tanks, the turbo-electric drive for battleships, the wireless compass, and various submarine signaling devices. The inventor was the author of many scientific papers and was in demand as a lecturer. Several installments of his autobiography were published in Radio News, but the work was never completed. Having been intensely interested in the classics since college days, Fessenden devoted much time in the last years of his life to research in the field of mythological origins, and in 1923 published The Deluged Civilization of the Caucasus, a resume of the book he planned to write. He later published several additional chapters, and also wrote a number of news- paper articles on the subject. In 1921 the Institute of Radio Engineers awarded its medal of honor to Fessenden. In 1922 he was given the John Scott Medal by the Advisory Committee of the City of Philadelphia for his invention of continuous wave telegraphy and telephony; and in 1929 he was the recipient of the Scientific American Medal for his inventions promoting safety at sea. On April 1, 1952, the Radio Pioneers Club presented its Hall of Fame Award to Fessenden, Dr. Christopher Crittenden accepting the award on behalf of the Fessenden National Memorial Association. The Club inaugurated its Hall of Fame series in 1950. Awards previous to Fessenden were made to Edison and Marconi. Because of Reginald A. Fessenden's pioneer radio work on Roanoke Island in 1901-1902, the Department of Archives and History, at the suggestion of the Fessenden National Memorial Association, requested his son to deposit the inventor's papers in the Archives. This he agreed to do, and the papers were subsequently received in August, 1944.

Local Call Number

PC.1140

MARS ID

167

Digital Collections

["Legacy Finding Aids Collection"]

Source Collections

["Fessenden. Private Collections. State Archives of North Carolina"]

Format

["Finding aids"]

Hosted By

["State Archives of North Carolina"]

Notes Public

If you have questions about this collection, please contact the State Archives of North Carolina at archives@ncdcr.gov.

Identifier

Fessenden_Reginald_A_Papers_PC1140_Final

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