Analysis: Practical Peacetime Applications

Date: October 17, 1945

Author: Larry E. Gubb

Genre: speech

Summary Overview

During World War II, scientists and engineers in Allied countries made significant technological advances in electronics, radar, and communication technology to gain the upper hand on the battlefield. In this speech, Larry E. Gubb of the Philco Corporation describes some potential peacetime applications of these advancements. For example, he said, electronics developments could improve manufacturing safety; radar developments could improve safety for railroad, air, and sea transportation; and wireless communication developments could improve the geographic reach of broadcasting, bring cultures together, and foster peace. However, Gubb believed that television was one of the most promising and exciting developments: when combined, these breakthroughs would facilitate better television transmission and reception, which in turn could provide entertainment, educational value, and commercial potential to the American public.

Defining Moment

The early twentieth century saw many impressive technological developments, particularly in transportation and communication technology. The first airplanes flew in the early 1900s, and World War I motivated the development of airplane manufacturing shortly thereafter. But these early models had one major limitation: pilots had to navigate using visual cues. As a result, flying at night was difficult, and flying in adverse weather conditions, such as fog or rain, was impossible. Pilots also had to watch the sky for other aircraft to avoid collisions. This limited military use and slowed the expansion of peacetime applications, such as airmail and commercial flight. Radar technology existed as early as the late nineteenth century, but it did not mature enough to be a useful technology until World War II.

Telephone and telegraph also existed during the late nineteenth century, but their use grew dramatically in the early twentieth century. In 1900, the first major telephone system (the American Bell Telephone Company) had almost 600,000 phones. By 1910, that number reached 5.8 million. The number expanded further when the transcontinental telephone line began operating in 1915. However, telephone and telegraph connections were limited to locations that could be hard wired to each other or to a central system.

Likewise, radio technology existed in the late nineteenth century. Some of its early applications included wireless telegraph communication between ships at sea and voice transmissions from airplanes and emergency vehicles. By 1910, AM radio was broadcast to American homes for entertainment purposes, and in 1920, KDKA in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, became the first commercial radio station in the United States. Radio proved immensely popular for both news and entertainment, but a limited number of bandwidths existed within the AM frequencies. By the 1940s, all of the available AM frequencies were occupied. New interests sought to broadcast over the air, but capacity could not be expanded using the existing technology. Regulatory and market hurdles also blocked expansion into the FM frequencies during the first half of the twentieth century.

In order to gain a strategic advantage during World War I, scientists and engineers in Allied nations undertook enormous research and development efforts. These efforts led to enormous gains in electronics, radar, and wireless broadcasting technology, many of which had enormous potential for peacetime applications. In his speech to the Cornell Club of Michigan on October 17, 1945, Larry E. Gubb discussed some of these technologies. As the chairman of the board of the Philco Corporation, Gubb was closely tied to the world of radio, television, and communication technology. His company saw significant opportunity for peacetime application of these new technologies—particularly the television—and hoped to spread enthusiasm and to create a market for these ideas.

Author Biography

In 1906, the Philadelphia Storage Battery Company emerged from prior efforts of brothers Thomas and Frank Spencer and their business associates to establish an electronics manufacturing company. By 1919, the company sought to grow its business through a national advertising campaign that branded the company with a new, easier-to-remember name: Philco.

After World War I, Philco expanded its product line and developed new technologies to make battery-powered radios more convenient for home use. The company eventually began to manufacture receivers, and business expanded rapidly. By the end of 1929, Philco was the third-largest radio manufacturer in the industry. Meanwhile, engineers busily researched television broadcast and reception technology.

In 1932, Philco split into two subsidiary companies because of legal issues. Larry E. Gubb became the president of the subsidiary Philco Radio & Television Corporation. In 1939, Gubb became the president of the parent company, still known as the Philadelphia Storage Battery Company. In 1941, he was appointed chairman of the board, and he became the name and face publically associated with Philco and its products throughout the 1940s.

Document Analysis

In this speech, Larry E. Gubb discusses technological advances in radar and electronics developed during World War II and their potential applications in peacetime. With respect to radar, he describes how improvements in American search radar systems allowed the Allies to spot German U-boats in the Atlantic Ocean from a distance of twenty-five nautical miles—a dramatic improvement from earlier systems with a maximum distance of eight nautical miles. Radar bombsight allowed pilots to target bombing raids with great precision and carry out raids even in poor weather conditions. Navigation radar allowed airplanes and ships to navigate using radar beacons rather than visual cues, which revolutionized flight and shipping. A vessel could travel “any predetermined course, day or night, regardless of weather, without depending on celestial navigation.”

Gubb explains how these developments can improve transportation safety even during peacetime. Planes equipped with radar systems no longer need to rely on visual cues to navigate. Instead, they can be guided to avoid obstacles and land on target safely even in darkness or bad weather. Radar systems also allow ships to safely enter harbors in fog and avoid obstacles at sea, including icebergs and other ships.

Other general electronics developments likewise have substantial peacetime applications. For example, tiny vacuum tubes used in electronic controls can improve the safety of manufacturing equipment by helping to “regulate temperature, eliminate smoke and automatically control entire batteries of operating machines.”

Wartime research also brought advancements in communication technology. Gubb discusses the wireless link system that could replace damaged telephone and telegraph wires across Europe, as well as allow US railroads to operate uninterrupted service during bad weather. He highlights the usefulness of wireless broadcasting in mountainous and undeveloped areas, where cost and maintenance might make wired connections impractical or impossible. In particular, FM radio—one of the principal means of military communication—has higher fidelity than AM radio, is less likely to be marred by static during poor weather conditions, and provides additional bandwidths to new broadcasters.

Finally, Gubb discusses how these advancements led to significant developments in television transmission and reception technology, and he predicts that color television will soon be available. He believes that television sets will eventually be in every household in the United States and sees television's enormous potential for entertainment and commercial applications. He says that advancements in wireless communication will facilitate the formation of national television networks—similar to those already existing for radio—particularly in areas where physical linkages using coaxial cables are inconvenient or impossible.

Bibliography and Additional Reading

“The Aerial Age Begins.” Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Natl. Air and Space Museum, 2014. Web. 2 Jan 2015.

Brown, Louis. A Radar History of World War II: Technical and Military Imperatives. New York: Taylor, 1999. Print.

“The Development of Radio.” American Experience. PBS, n.d. Web. 2 Jan 2015.

Edgerton, Gary. The Columbia History of American Television. New York: Columbia UP, 2007. Print.

“A Short History of Radio.” Federal Trade Commission. Federal Trade Commission, Winter 2003–4. Web. 2 Jan 2015.

Ramirez, Ron. “The History of Philco.” Philco Radio, 17 May 2013. Web. 2 Jan 2015.