Lee DeForest
-born 1873
-invents Audion tube
-16: DeForest radio operate experimental radio station 2XG.
-16/17/18JA16 (16?): W2XCR (139 meters) of JTC and Deforest Radio Co’s Passaic station (187 meters) signal received at Lauter Piano Studios in Newark on equipment of Jenkins Home TeleVision
-Crosley buys DeForest Radio.
-24AP31: DeForest and associates file patent for large screen, projection TV recorder. Revolving wheel with series of needle points (connected to a receiver) passed over by a moving strip of 35mm film covered with pure metallic silver. Signal cause points to register light or dark on the film, which was shown through a regular projector.
-22SP31: revised patent application submitted
-JA32: W2XCD (run by DeForest Radio since 30) destroyed by fire.
-61: DeForest dies, with $1,250.
Employees+
Du Mont Television Network
People
Dennis James, familiar television game show host and commercial spokesman who touted products from cigarettes to cereal and raised millions of dollars for charity, has died. He was 79.
James, who held the dubious honor of being the announcer for television's first commercial, died Tuesday of cancer in his Palm Springs, Calif., home, said son Randy James.
For 47 years, James hosted the United Cerebral Palsy telethons that raised more than $700 million to combat the disease.
During his lifetime, James personally raised more than a billion dollars for various charities. Besides United Cerebral Palsy, he campaigned for funds for ChildHelp USA, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association and Variety Club.
Trained at the Theater School of Dramatic Arts at Carnegie Hall, James was hired in the infancy of television by the Dumont Television Network (where his brother Al was an engineer) as a talent who could "do it all" -- announce, sell, provide commentary or act.
That contract garnered him 25 firsts in the new medium -- among them the first to do a television commercial, the first to broadcast wrestling and sports commentary, the first to host a varietyshow, first to emcee a game show and to star in a television drama.
In the mid-1970s, James hosted an NBC revival of the 1950s game show Name That Tune. His other television game shows included Chance of a Lifetime, The Price Is Right, Stop the Music, Name's the Same, Can You Top This, PDQ and The All American College Show.
Other survivors include his wife, Micki; two other sons, Dennis Jr. and Brad; four grandsons; and a brother.
Copyright 1997, The Detroit News
-Dennis James born as Demitriou James Sposa in Garden City NJ, 1917. Graduated St. Peter’s College and the Theatre School of Dramatic Arts at Carnegie Hall. 1938: Hired from radio announcer/ actor slot by Du Mont to become tv announcer to 300 NY area sets. 38: began at WATT (where he became Dennis James. 1940: Left WATT Jersey City for WNEW NY. (Golden throats and silver tongues).
1997: died.
-1952: Allen Balcorm Du Mont Foundation begins supporting TV at Montclair State College
-Thomas T. Goldsmith, born 1910, in Greenbrook SC. Graduated from Furman University in 1931, then got Ph D from Cornell in 1936. Became Director of Research for Du Mont on 01NV36 (employee number 14) and held that position until 1966.
Lives in tacoma WA.
-William Sayer was Engineer in charge at WTTG. Now runs klystrons on Stanford’s linear accelerator.
-Don McGannon manager of DTN in NY
-Lee DeFoest was a consulting engineer for Du Mont Labs.
-Ted De Boer worked as part of the 4 man crew at Du Mont Labs that built the first 12” TV set.
-Ted Bergman , born 1920, ex- DTN President
-Jack Carter, born 1923
-Curt Gowdy was a sales assistant
-Wally Ferris, born 1930, former DTN camera Operator
-Don Hastings, born 34, ex Video ranger. Played Dr. Bob Hughes on a”As The World Turns”
-Chris Witting, born 15,Q ex DTN President, lives and works in Syracuse NY.
-Charles Polachek, born 14, first Captain Video Director
-Mel Goldberg, former Du Mont research head
-Jack Siegrist, born 17, ex marketing executive, now College educator in NJ
-Wes Kennedy, born 26, DTN staff director
-Les Airres Jr, born 24, ex WTTG GM and fromer camera operator/technician/director
-Hal Cooper, born 23, DTN staff Director
-Stan Epstein, born 25, DTN staff Director
-Art Elliot, born 24, DTN network sales
-Pat Fay, DTN staff Director
-Roy Sharp, 19, DTN network sales and afilaite relations
-Jack Rayel, 15, DTN announcer
-Larry White, DTN staff director
-Richard Coogan ,19, was Captain Video and is now a North Hollywood Golf Pro.
-Olga Duce,11, Captain Video director
-Lucille Kallen wrote for Liebman- produced Admirl Broadway Review, which aired on NBC and DTN JA- JN 49.
Jenkins
-22AU1867: born
-1894: began experimenting with mosaic tv systems
-1898: builds car with engine beneath seat, instead of in front.
-trained to be a movie engineer.
-invented Dixie Cup.
-01: created DC’s first double decker sightseeing bus.
-21. Charles Francis Jenkins incorporates the Jenkins Laboratories in Washington for the sole purpose of "developing radio movies to be broadcast for entertainment in the home."
-19MY22: first successful laboratory radiophotos.
-03OC22: public demonstration of radiopictures. Image wire-faxed from Connecticut Avenue Lab to NOF Anacostia and broadcast to Post Office building on 16th street.
-02MR23: fax to NOF and broadcast to Evening Standard Building in Philadelphia.
-14JN23: pictures sent from lab at 1519 Connecticut Avenue to 16th Street lab.
-04DC24:message written in Japanese sent from NOF Anacostia to Boston.
-13JN25: broadcast film of miniature windmill 5 miles from NOF Anacostia (1875kHz, ˚48 lines) to DC. Witnessing reception at Jenkin’s Connecticut Avenue lab were press representatives and government officials (including Navy Secretary Wilbur). System used prismatic rings (rotating vertically and horizontally) to scan the film across a photoelectric cell (instead of a Nipkow disc).
-12AU25: silhouette movies from DC lab sent 6 miles to Jenkins home.
-18AU26: weather map from station NAA received in DC Weather Bureau office.
-23FB 28: W3XK license to Charles F. Jenkins Laboratories.
\
-Late Oct. 1928. W1XAY* Lexington MA. (The station was licensed to J. Smith Dodge and C. F. Jenkins. J. Smith Dodge was a former engineer for WNAC and former announcer at WGI. Carl S. Wheeler was also involved in founding the station. Station basically broadcast WLEX's radio programming. The station remained on the air sporadically until the end of March 1930.)
-28: FRC grants license for to Jenkins Laboratories DC’s experimental W3XK. Transmitted 1/2 tone stills and short films hourly on shortwave. Some transmissions received (in fair condition) in Alabama.
-02JL28: W3XK on air from 1519 Conne
cticut Avenue
Oct. 31, 1929. Radio Service Bulletin lists these new stations: W10XU Airplane (Jenkins Laboratories), 2.0-2.1 MHz, 10 watts; W10XZ Airplane (C.Francis Jenkins), 1.608, 2.325, 3.088, 4.785, 6.335 MHz, 6 watts.
-02JL28: regular schedule begins on W3XK.
[-DC28/ early 29: Jenkins Television Company formed (346 Claremont Avenue Jersey City. Housed factory and W2XCR) to act as holding company and for manufacturing / distribution of Jenkins Labs products. first President James W. Garside (also President of DeForst Radio Co), first Chairman A. J. Drexel Biddle Jr.
To make receivers and transmitting equipment, underwritten for $10m. TV Sets cost $85- 135 via retailers (also given as $100 and $145); Jenkins Universal television receiver mantle- type cabinet was $69.50 plus $13.45 for the tubes). Do it yourself kits (Jenkins Radiovisor) were available for $42.50 (and an optional $5 magnifying lens) from the New Jersey plant and included a magnifying lens. Largest screen size was 1.5 square inches. Patents were licensed to other manufacturers and commercial programs were announced for 1930.
NY Times anÕnounced that several thousand Universal television Receivers were sold.
An estimated 100,000 sets could receive monologues from Jenkin’s $65,000 studio at 655 5th Avenue in Manhattan
-30MR29. Radio Service Bulletin lists these new stations: W9XAO Chicago IL (Nelson Brothers Bond and Mortgage Co.) 2.0-2.1 MHz, 500 watts;W2XCR Jersey City NJ (Jenkins Television Corporation) 2.1-2.2 MHz, 5000watts; W2XCL Brooklyn NY (Pilot Electric Manufacturing Co.) 2.0-2.1, 2.75-2.85 MHz, 250 watts; W2XCO New York (RCA) 2.1-2.2 MHz, 5000 watts; W2XR New York (John V. L. Hogan), 500 watts (visual broadcasting and experimental); W2XCW Schenectady (General Electric) 2.1-2.2 MHz 20,000 watts.
-OC29: DeForest Radio obtains majoÃrity interest in Jenkins television Company. Firms remain separate
-29: W3XK authorized to move to area between Wheaton and Silver Spring MD.
-JA30: two transmitters: W3XK (DC) and W2XCR (Jersey City)
-30AP30. Radio Service Bulletin lists these new stations: W2XAP Jersey City NJ (Jenkins Television Corporation), 2.75-2.85 MHz, 250 watts.
Aug. 20, 1930. The first demonstration of home reception of television, a half-hour broadcast from the Jenkins station, W2XCR in Jersey City, and the de Forest station W2XCD in Passaic. Two sets were available in public places and one in a press suite. (Or Aug. 25 1930)
-Fall 30: W2XCR on, with sound over DeForest Radio Company’s radio station
-AP31: W2XCR moves to $65,000 studio in Manhattan. Sound carried on WGBS
The station now had 5000 wattspower, and could broadcast 60-line pictures rather than 48-line pictures.
-01MY31. The first marriage is broadcast on TV, on W2XCR New York.
-MY31: W3XK sound sent over W3XJ.
-DC31: portable station W2XAP (NY) to move to DC and to send sound over WMAL.
-FB32: President Leslie S. Gordon (also president of DeForest radio Co) asks shareholders (of both) to okay sale of JTC assets to DRC, and subsequent liquidation of JTC.
-JA32: film based telecasts abandoned, because of production and development costs. Live action remained.
-JN32: DeForest Radio Company goes into receivership.
-31OC32: JTC ceases operations, as does W3XK
-MR33: RCA pays $500,000 for DeForest Assets
-06JN34: Jenkins dies
Allen Balcolm Du Mont
-24JA01: Allen Balcom Du Mont, first of four children born in Brooklyn NY 12 to William Henry Beamon Du Mont (Secretary and Treasurer of the Waterbury Watch Company) and Lillian Felton Balcom Du Mont.
-14: family moves to Montclair NJ
-12: Allen contracts polio, and is bedridden for nearly a year. Father brings him a crystal radio transceiver.
-16: receives First Class Wireless Operator’s license.
-17: took vacation job on NY- Providence passenger ship as radio operator.
-17- 24: spends time on coastal and trans- Atlantic ships a radio operator. Operates amateur station W2YAR.
-20- 24: Attends Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. Swam and received Electrical Engineering degree.
-24: employed at Westinghouse Lamp Company (later a division of Westinghouse Electric Corporation) in Bloomfield NJ. Initially a development engineer, later Engineer In Charge of Production of Radio receiving Tubes.
-26 marries Ethel Steadman of Montclair.
-27: develops high speed aging machine for Westinghouse. JThis boosts production from 500 per day to 5,000 per hour.
-28: becomes Chief Engineer at DeForest Radio Company, which had been closed for a year because of reorganization and an obsolete plant. Developed new organization and equipment to turn out 30,000 electron tubes per day, receiving promotion to VP in Charge of Production.
-29: first of two children born.
-30: at his urging, DeForest Radio Company buys TV patents from widow (?) of Caldwell Francis Jenkins, tv pioneer of Wheaton MD. Du Mont becomes direct supervisor of television developments.
-01MY30: request experimental tv CP for DeForest in Passaic from FRC
-20AU30: tv promoted with half hour program (featuring emcee Harry Hershfield, George Jessel, Arthur ‘Bugs’ Baer, Shirley Wynne, Benny Rubin and Diane Selby) simulcast over W2XCD (5kw, mechanical station)Passaic aTnd W2XCR Jersey City. NYC receivers were located in an office in the Hearst Building, an apartment (98 Riverside Drive) and a store in the Hotel Ansonia (Broadway and 73rd St).
-31MR31: programs included “River Of Doubt” (with Henry Irving), “Exploring With Teddy Roosevelt”, a piano recital by Collier Elliott, Explorer Richard Byrd and “Experiments With Vacuum Tubes” (starring DeForest and Du Mont).
-31: W2XBT, under Du Mont’s direction as Chief Engineer, from Upper Montclair NJ.
-31: Du Mont leaves $15,000 per year job, after receiving several patents. Prior to leaving, let it be known that he was available to any manufacturer with unusually complex tubes and arranged with patent attorneys to be an expert witness in patent litigations for $100 an hour. Between the two, received around $8,000 annually. Moreover, signs personal notes at≈ a local bank and borrows against life insurance, raised $25,000 for CRT operations (CRTs were German made and the best lasted 25- 30 hours).
-21AU44: addresses 73 RPI graduates. receives honorary Doctorate of Electrical Engineering.
-46: held 65 patents; in CRTs, contributions in CRT work and synchronizing techniques. No patent actually on CRTs.
Dr. Du Mont wore heavy steel braces on both legs.
Lunched daily at the Upper Montclair Country Club.