Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

TOASTMASTER: Dr. Karl T. Compton, president of the Massa- chusetts Institute of Technology, needs no endorsement from us as the leading phTjsicist of the world. In the best sense, a public citizen, a wise counselor on public affairs a7id in business, he has dominated a world-wide range of interests from Boston to Bikini, measured in either direction. DR. COMPTON SPEAKS Excerpts from address by Dr. Compton: THE career of the man whom we honor tonight is material for one of those stories which, put to- gether, constitute the epic of Amer- ica. It is a career which illustrates what fine things can be accom- plished when native ability, ambi- tion and character find scope for free enterprise in a land of oppor- tunity. Sometimes in the news- papers of towns or small cities we see a headline "Local Boy Makes Good" and this is always a source of satisfaction, but it is still more of an achievement when one who is not a "local boy" makes good in a new environment. David Sarnoff, like such other men as Michael Pupin and William Knudsen, carved out his career in American as an adopted heme and has been a fine example of loyal, helpful, creative citizenship. Dr. Sarnoff, I honor you for what you are, as well as for what you have accomplished. It is not too much to say that the electron is at the heart of most of the business of the Radio Corpora- tion of America, just as Dr. Sarnoff is at the head of this business. I have no doubt that if the electron had not been discovered for another fifty years. Dr. Sarnoff would have found some other important field for successful achievement and service, but nevertheless the coinci- dence of Dr. Sarnoff and the elec- tron has been a happy one. . . . The rols of electronics in scien- tific research and development for military purposes was played in almost every aspect of military operations and the utilization of in- strumentalities and weapons of war. . . . The arts of detecting and lo- cating airplanes and submarines. probably the two most critical spe- cialized new features of the past war, are very largely problems in electronics. Navigation systems for aircraft and ships and some of the best devices for directing anti-air- craft fire were of electronic charac- ter. The story of ths work of the Microwave Committee [of the Na- tional Defense Research Commit- tee], whose special staff was large- ly concentrated in the Radiation Laboratoiy of M. I. T. but which operated in the closest and most helpful coordination with the re- search and engineering depart- ments of the various industrial companies, and with various other educational institutions, and with the procurement and later the op- erating divisions of the Army and Navy, is one of the finest stories of effective, loyal and unselfish coop- eration of a great group in the en- tii'e annals of applied science. All who participated in this program deserve recognition and praise, but in view of the special circumstances of this gathering I would now pay special tribute to the personal serv- ices rendered by Dr. [Ralph R.l Beal and Loren Jones of the Radio Corporation of America, and the wholehearted cooperation of its laboratories, engineering and pro- duction departments, and the un- wavering backing by the adminis- trative officers of the organization headed by David Sarnoff. TOASTMASTER: One of the things that I have valued most in my connection with the Radio Cor- poration of America has been the opportunity to know and associate w'th Owen D. Young, whose early interest and affection for our Com- pany has never lessened. One of my opportunities, and, may I add, one of my pleasures as Chairman of the Board of Radio Corporation of America for the last sixteen years, has been from time to time to sound off the praises of my most brilliant junior, David Sarnoff. On this par- ticular occasion, h o iv ever, Mr. Young's long-time affection a n d keen personal interest in a protege unmistakably indicate him as the one ivho should introduce to you the president of the Radio Corporation of America for the final address of the evening. AN INTRODUCTION BY OWEN D. YOUNG General Harbord; my dear David, my dear electron. (Laughter) I am thankful to Dr. Compton for relieving me from the responsibil- ity of introducing the electron, be- cause it is a privilege—certainly a privilege pleasing to me—to intro- duce David. It is not an onerous task, because so many of you know all the things that he has done—well, you don't know them all. I know some that you don't know; Mrs. Sarnoff knows some that you don't know; I know some that she doesn't. It's a delicate task, therefore, Mrs. Sarnoff, for me to draw the line on what should be said. When I was in college, Dell Sawyer lived downtown—he was older than I—and it was in the north country, where it's very cold —and he had a way of getting a little interior heat. One day when I went downtown, he said, "Owen, you see that man across the street?" I said, "Yes; what about him, Dell?" He said, "I know enough about him to put him in state's prison." I said, "Why don't you do it?" He said, "He knows too much about me." (Laughter) Now if there are some things left unsaid by me tonight about David, it's only because he speaks after me. (Laughter) I want to say this at least: that in the inevitable march of the gen- erations, one of the most impres- sive experiences of accumulating years—and I claim to have accumu- lating years—is in the spring be- tween the generations, at the point of ma.ximum efficiency, which is sel- dom more than twenty years. Nat- urally, there must be a long period of preparation by education and ap- prenticeship before one moves to maximum power. Then he enters as a junior, probably in his forties —David beat it a little bit. One is likely to be a radical, moving away from the reaction of his predeces- sors ; and then in the sixties, hav- ing become a reactionary himself, degeneration moves in again. [4 RADIO AGE