Philo Farnsworth
Philo Taylor Farnsworth (August 19, 1906 – March 11, 1971) was an American inventor and television pioneer. He made many crucial contributions to the early development of all-electronic television. He is best known for his 1927 invention of the first fully functional all-electronic image pickup device (video camera tube), the image dissector, as well as the first fully functional and complete all-electronic television system. Farnsworth developed a television system complete with receiver and camera—which he produced commercially through the Farnsworth Television and Radio Corporation from 1938 to 1951, in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Philo T. Farnsworth | |
|---|---|
Farnsworth in 1939 | |
| Born | Philo Taylor Farnsworth August 19, 1906 Beaver, Utah, U.S. |
| Died | March 11, 1971 (aged 64) Holladay, Utah, U.S. |
| Resting place | Provo City Cemetery, Provo, Utah, U.S. |
| Employer(s) | Philco, Farnsworth Television and Radio Corporation, International Telephone and Telegraph |
| Known for | Inventor of the first fully electronic television; over 169 United States and foreign patents |
| Spouse | Elma "Pem" Gardner (1908–2006) |
| Children | 4 sons |
| Relatives | Agnes Ann Farnsworth (sister) |
In later life, Farnsworth invented a small nuclear fusion device, the Farnsworth Fusor, employing inertial electrostatic confinement (IEC). Like many fusion devices, it was not a practical device for generating nuclear power, although it provides a viable source of neutrons. The design of this device has been the inspiration for other fusion approaches, including the Polywell reactor concept. Farnsworth held 300 patents, mostly in radio and television.