Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

12 Trade Personals: Wallace C. Johnson, Admiral sales v.p., elected to board of directors; ex-RCA field salesman and regional mgr. in Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis, 1930-42, he joined Admiral in 1944 as regional mgr. . . . Brig. Gen. David Sarnofif, RCA-NBC chairman, received honorary degree June 2 from his alma mater, Pratt Institute; speaks June 11 on “Electronics & Law Enforcement” before FBI graduating class in Washington; delivers commencement address June 12 of U of So. California, topic being “Youth in a Changing World” . . . Frank Folsom, RCA pres., due back from Europe week of June 7 . . . Harold Quinton, Southezn California Edison Co., elected pres, of Edison Electric Institute, succeeding Walter H. Samis, Ohio Edison; Harllee Branch Jr., Georgia Power Co., elected v.p., H. S. Bennion re-elected managing director . . . James E. McGuire, ex-Hallicrafters, named Raytheon TV-radio credit mgr., succeeding Rudy Frehan . . . Stanley Cohen, ex-Pacific Mercury, named Olympic Radio w'estern factory rep, replacing Walter Chase, resigned . . . Ira Brichta, ex-Philco Distributors, Chicago, named adv. & sales promotion mgr. of parent company’s midwest sales region, succeeding J. Herbert Stickle, now with Marthens, Galloway & Simms Adv., Chicago . . . Ralph L. Weber, secy, of Gramer Transformer Corp., Chicago, appointed exec, v.p.; Burt Anderson promoted to sales v.p., Fred Cooper to engineering v.p. . . . A. J. Kendrick, ex-RCA, appointed eastern mgr. of Magnecord commercial music div. . . . S. Krinsky now chief engineer. Telechrome Inc.; R. S. Aha, chief production engineer, and Gerald F, Delmato, manufacturing mgr., have left company , . . Bruce Quisenberry leaves post as chief of Signal Corps Office of Technical Liaison to become asst, director of publicity, Automatic Electric Co. under publicity director Herbert E. Clapham . . . Herbert Jacobs, from sales dept., appointed gen. mgr., Jerrold Electronics . . . Walter H. Hawk now mgr. of TV operations, E. Bradburd head of TV transmitter dept., A. J. Baracket head of TV studio equipment dept., E. W. Deiss head of customer service dept.. Federal Telecommunications Labs; James M. Valentine last week named TV branch sales mgr. B Dr. E. W. Engstrom, executive v.p., RCA Laboratories, goes to parent company headquarters in N. Y. as executive v.p. in charge of all research and engineering, and Robert E. Shelby, director of NBC color TV systems development, was elected NBC v.p. & chief engineer, in major changes in the RCA-NBC executive structure announced June 4 by Chairman Sarnoff. Ewen C. Anderson, v.p., RCA commercial dept., was elected executive v.p., commercial dept., handling all patent & license matters; Dr. Irving Wolff, director of research, appointed v.p., research, RCA Princeton labs; Dr. D. H. Ewing, in charge of chemical research lab, named administrative director, RCA Princeton labs; 0. B. Hanson, NBC v.p. & chief engineer, becomes RCA v.p., operations engineering, with responsibility for all engineering pertaining to broadcasting & communications and for direction of RCA Frequency Bureau, reporting to Dr. Engstrom, as does D. F. Schmit, v.p. product engineering at Camden, who continues in that capacity. The Engstrom and Anderson promotions place them on same executive level at parent company as recently promoted Joseph B. Elliott, now executive v.p. consumer products; C. M. Odorizzi, executive v.p., corporate affairs; W. W. Watts, executive v.p., electronic products. R. G. Griffith, Radio Engineering Products Inc., on May 1 succeeded L. S. Payne as chief engineer, Canadian Overseas Telecommunications Corp.; Mr. Payne retired after 42 years, going to London as consultant to British Marconi. British IRE holds 1954 convention at Oxford, July 8-12, devoted entirely to industrial electronics. Electronics Reports: Forecasts for 1964 by GE’s W. V. O’Brien, v.p. & gen. mgr. of apparatus sales div., speaking at National Federation of Financial Analysts Societies meeting in Chicago: 66,000,000 home TVs in use, of which 44,000,000 will be color sets, using almost twice as much electric power per receiver; TV screens that can be hung on the wall like pictures, connected to receiver by thin wires; electronic device for thawing frozen foods quickly; electronic device for cooking food in seconds; electronic incinerators for disposal of kitchen waste ; 3 times as many home freezers as now, twice as many ranges and electric water heaters, 5 times as many electric clothes dryers, 11 times as many air conditioners. Who invented transistors? The Russians, of course. At least, that’s hinted in article on Russian electronic achievements in Soviet newspaper Izvestia. Crediting early solid-state research to Oleg V. Losev, who died in 1941, article cites advances in last 5 years by Soviet Army in substituting transistors for tubes and states, “Now there is no doubt that in radiotechnics, electronic crystals [transistors] are the masters.” Article indicates Russian electronic developments may be paralleling those in U. S., describes giant computing machines containing thousands of electronic devices and “occupying tens of hundreds of square meters of space.” It suggests that “century of radioelectronics” is more apt description for present age than “era of atomic energy” because without complex electronic devices nuclear achievements would be impossible. Life-saving electronic assistant for the operating room is new “Physiological Monitor,” developed by National Bureau of Standards for Veterans’ Administration, which continually measures changes in patient’s blood pressure, heartbeat and respiration as they occur during course of an operation. Recording device makes permanent record of patient’s condition during operation. Because important data on patient’s condition are available at a glance without intermediate calculation or manipulation, the instrument makes possible prompt emergency action. Preliminary tests in 2 Washington hospitals indicate “great potential usefulness to the surgical team,” NBS reports. Detailed description is contained in Technical Report 1872, NBS, Technical Reports Section, Washington 25, D. C. Plea for military electronics testing seiwices on west coast was inserted in June 3 Congressional Record by Rep. Yorty (D-Cal.). Crediting West Coast Electronics Mfrs. Assn, with helping build California’s electronics industry to current level of more than 150 companies employing more than 50,000, he said lack of testing facilities is hampering industry’s further growth there. “Govt, procurement regulations require prior official testing before electronic parts are purchased,” he said. “But the testing services are offered only in the east and midwest, although facilities are available on the west coast which could make the necessary tests at little additional costs to the Govt, and at savings of millions to the producers of electronics.” Sylvania this week disclosed new 21-in. 90-degree aluminized tube (21ATP4), to be available in limited quantities in July. New glass rectangular tube provides 263-sq. in. picture, measures 19^2 -in. high, 15 14 -in. wide. Price wasn’t announced. Jensen Mfg. Co., subsidiary of Muter Co., opens new 26,000-sq. ft. plant at Guttenberg, la. for production of 6-in. and smaller speakers, expands output of high-fidelity equipment at main plant in Chicago. Francis W. Dunmore, retired Bureau of Standards scientist, who with late Harry Diamond originated the blind landing system and who pioneered many phases of air & marine navigation, wins Pioneer Award of annual Conference on Airborne Electronics.