Lee De Forest

Ranked as one of the most important innovations in electronics in the first half of the 20th century, Lee De Forest's valve, also called triode, audion, or three-electrode vacuum tube, amplified telegraph and radio signals. It ultimately became a cornerstone in the advancement of radio. He also found a way to add sound directly to movie film utilizing the audion. But the movie industry initially rebuffed his method, only to accept later on. On another front, deForest attempted to broadcast live the N. Y. Metropolitan Opera in his belief that radio and then TV could raise America's cultural awareness. He also pioneered news broadcasting and, proving that some things don't change, incorrectly announced the winner of the 1916 presidential race. His autobiography is called Father of Radio, a title that a number of colleagues feel is warranted.