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

History of RCA Institutes {Continued frofit Page 15) mand for qualified operators, the school was reorgan- ized as the Marconi School of Instruction and moved to larger quarters at 29 Cliff Street. During the following years, the school was moved to several different locations within New York City as the swelling demand for operators called for more extensive classroom facilities. In 1915. the institution became known as the Marconi Institute and, for the first time, inaugurated evening courses in the Edison Building at Duane and Elm Streets. With the formation of the Radio Corporation of America in 1919, the Marconi Institute became a part of the Corporation under the new name of the Radio Institute of America. Shortly thereafter, the school was moved to 326 Broadway. In 1922, following the intro- duction of radio broadcasting, courses were formulated for training radio receiver servicemen. Because of public interest, the school prepared catalogs and advertisements for magazines and newspapers. Institutes hicorfioiated in 1929 Progressive expansion of the Radio Corporation of America made it necessary to form a separate or- ganization devoted exclusively to technical training. Therefore, in August 1929, RCA Institutes. Inc., was incorporated as a wholly-owned subsidiar)- of RCA. Three years later the Institutes then located at 75 Varick Street, established courses in radio broadcasting, radio servicing, sound technique and commercial radio operating. A "General Course" of a higher technical level than had been previously offered was added to the Institutes' curriculum in 19.36. This was done to keep pace with the growing need for technicians quali- fied to design radio equipment. The course included such subjects as electrical physics, transmitter tech- nology, sound reproducing and recording systems, radio receiver instruction and frequency modulation design. Anticipating the need for trained television tech- nicians, RCA Institutes in 1938 added the servicing of television receivers to the Servicing Course, and in- tegrated the operation, maintenance and development of television circuits in the General Course. The latter course, now called the Advanced Technology Course, requires full time attendance for two and one-quarter years (2610 hours) and offers instruction in the opera- tion, maintenance and development of all types of radio circuits. Graduates of this course are qualified for all types of radio technician employment, particularly de- velopment and laboratory work. So thorough is the course that those who complete it are often granted appreciably advanced standing when applying for admis- sion to engineering colleges and universities. In April 1948, the school was moved to larger and more suitable quarters at 350 West Fourth Street where it now occupies 40,000 square feet on the second and third floors. A large number of visual aids are used here to supplement instruction in all courses. The In- stitutes has sound motion picture projectors, disc and tape recorders, and a large library of sound and silent films, film strips and slides. Reference material and the latest textbooks are accessible to all students in the school's well-stocked librar)'. Inspection Trips for Students Supplementing regular academic instruction, students of certain courses are taken on inspection trips to im- portant broadcasting and industrial centers located in or near New York City. In addition, representatives of industry and government address senior classes on tlie various phases of radio, television and electronics. In common with other schools, most of the stu- dents at RCA Institutes come from nearby areas. How- ever, as time goes on, students from abroad are apply- ing in greater number for admission to study here. During the past decade, students have matriculated from Argentina, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Liberia. Mexico, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, British Malaya, Thai- land, Turkey and many other countries. To assist students in obtaining satisfactory positions RCA Institutes maintains a placement service. A re- cent survey, made two months after the end of the school year, shows that of a total of 569 graduates during the year, 471 or 82.8 per cent were employed. These graduates became associated with developmnt laboratories of leading electronic companies and broad- casting stations in 43 different states Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Alaska. Through the years, RCA Institutes has kept abreast of the major changes in radio and television, and has sought to maintain a high level of instruction in the technical institute area of education. Today, the school not only ranks as one of the leading technical institu- tions of the nation, but is also recognized by the elec- tronics industry as a valuable source of qualified men. 30 RADIO AGE