Lee De Forest

Lee De Forest, (August 26, 1873 ? June 30, 1961) was an American inventor with over 300 patents to his name. De Forest invented the Audion, a vacuum tube that takes relatively weak electrical signals and amplifies them. De Forest is one of the fathers of the "electronic age," as the Audion helped to usher in the widespread use of electronics.

Early years

Lee De Forest was born in Iowa to a Congregational minister who hoped that his son would become a minister like himself. His father accepted the position of President of Talladega College (a traditionally Black school) in Alabama where Lee spent most of his youth. Most citizens of the white community resented his father's efforts to educate black students. Nevertheless, Lee De Forest had several friends from among the black children of the town.

Related Topics:
Iowa - Congregational - Talladega College - Alabama

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De Forest went to Mount Hermon School and then enrolled at the Sheffield School of Science at Yale University in 1893. As an inquisitive inventor, he tapped into the electrical system at Yale one evening and completely blacked out the campus, leading to his suspension. However, he was eventually allowed to complete his studies. He paid some of his tuition with income from mechanical and gaming inventions, and received his Bachelor's degree in 1896.

Related Topics:
Mount Hermon School - Yale University - 1893 - Bachelor's degree - 1896

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He remained at Yale for graduate studies, and earned his Ph.D. in 1899 with a doctoral dissertation on radio waves.

Related Topics:
Ph.D. - 1899

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De Forest was interested in wireless telegraphy which led to his invention of the Audion tube, in 1906, and he developed an improved wireless telegraph receiver. He filed a patent for a two-electrode device for detecting electromagnetic waves. His Audion tube was a vacuum tube which allowed for amplification for radio reception. De Forest said he didn't know why it worked; it just did.

Related Topics:
Audion tube - 1906 - Vacuum tube - Amplification

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He was a charter member of the Institute of Radio Engineers, the predecessor of the IEEE.

Related Topics:
Institute of Radio Engineers - IEEE

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