Who was Philo Farnsworth? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Philo T. Farnsworth, Philo Taylor Farnsworth

Died At Age: 64

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Pem Gardner Farnsworth (m. 1926–1971)

father: Lewis Edwin Farnsworth

mother: Serena Amanda Bastian

siblings: Agnes Farnsworth, Carl Farnsworth, Laura Farnsworth, Lincoln Farnsworth, Ronald Farnsworth

children: Kenneth Farnsworth, Kent Farnsworth, Philo T. Farnsworth III, Russell Farnsworth

Inventors American Men

Died on: March 11, 1971

place of death: Salt Lake City

U.S. State: Utah

Diseases & Disabilities: Depression

Founder/Co-Founder: Illegal Art

discoveries/inventions: Television

More Facts

education: Brigham Young University, United States Naval Academy, Rigby High School

awards: National Inventors Hall of Fame

Recommended For You

1

What invention is Philo Farnsworth known for?

Philo Farnsworth is known for inventing the first fully functional all-electronic television system.
2

Where did Philo Farnsworth demonstrate his television system for the first time?

Philo Farnsworth demonstrated his television system for the first time in 1927 in San Francisco.
3

What is the significance of Philo Farnsworth's invention in the history of television?

Philo Farnsworth's invention of the electronic television system is considered a pioneering achievement that laid the foundation for modern television technology.
4

Did Philo Farnsworth face any challenges or controversies during his career as an inventor?

Yes, Philo Farnsworth faced various challenges and legal battles over patents related to his television invention.

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American Inventors & Discoverers

Childhood & Early Life

Philo T. Farnsworth was born on August 19, 1906 to parents Serena Amanda Bastian and Lewis Edwin Farnsworth as one of their five children in Utah, the US. He had two brothers and two sisters, including a sister named Agnes.

He developed an interest in electronics after his first telephonic conversation with an out-of-state family member. He won the first prize of $25 in a pulp-magazine contest by inventing a magnetized car lock.

He excelled in physics and chemistry at the Rigby High School. While studying there, he once provided his teacher with diagrams and sketches covering many blackboards to show how the electronic television system could be accomplished practically.

Farnsworth then attended the Brigham Young High School and graduated from there in 1924. His father died while he was still in high school and young Philo assumed the responsibility of sustaining his family.

Later on, he studied at the Brigham Young University and earned the Junior Radio-Trician certification from the National Radio Institute.

After this, Farnsworth was recruited at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis after he earned the country’s second highest score in academy tests. However, he left the academy to take advanced science classes at Brigham Young University.

Through his enrolment in the University of Utah job-placement service, Farnsworth became familiar with philanthropists George Everson and Leslie Gorrell. The duo later on funded Farnsworth's early television research so that he could set up a laboratory to carry out his experiments.

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Career

In September 1927, Philo Farnsworth's camera tube transmitted its first picture to a receiver kept in another room of the laboratory. Over the next two years, he worked on improving his techniques and transmitted the first ever live human images via his television system.

In 1931, David Sarnoff of Radio Corporation of America (RCA) offered Farnsworth US$100,000 for his patents but the latter declined. In the month of June that year, he, along with his family, moved to Philadelphia where he joined the Philco Company.

In 1932, Philo Farnsworth met John Logie Baird, an inventor who had given the first ever public demonstration of a working TV system using an electro-mechanical imaging system. Baird, who was seeking to create the electronic television receivers, demonstrated his mechanical system to Farnsworth.

In 1934, the American inventor sailed to Europe and secured an agreement with the Goerz-Bosch-Fernseh in Germany.

He then returned to his laboratory to continue his research. By the year 1936, his company was regularly transmitting entertainment programs on an experimental basis. The same year, Farnsworth, while working with the biologists at University of Pennsylvania, developed a method of sterilizing milk using radio waves. He also invented a fog-penetrating beam for airplanes and ships.

In 1938, he established his own agency named Farnsworth Television and Radio Corporation in Indiana and became its director of research. A year later, RCA approved the multi-year licensing agreement concerning the inventor’s 1927 patent for TV, totalling $1 million.

In 1951, the Farnsworth Television and Radio Corporation was acquired by International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT). At ITT, Farnsworth made his most significant contribution by developing the PPI Projector that went on to become the forerunner of the present day’s air traffic control system.

Farnsworth, along with his family, moved to Utah in the year 1967 so that he could continue his fusion research at the Brigham Young University. He then invited his staff members to accompany him to the Salt Lake City as the team members in the Philo T. Farnsworth Associates (PTFA). By 1970, PTFA had failed to secure the required financing and it got disbanded a year later.

Major Works

During his time at the International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT), Philo Farnsworth served in the basement laboratory—“the cave"—located on the Pontiac Street in Fort Wayne. There he introduced several breakthrough concepts such as a defense early warning signal, radar calibration equipment, submarine detection devices, and an infrared telescope.

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Awards & Achievements

Philo Farnsworth was honored with a plaque in Walt Disney World's "Inventor's Circle" in Epcot.

In 1999, Time magazine included him in their list of ‘The Most Important People of the Century’.

In 2006, he was posthumously awarded with the Eagle Scout award. This award was received by his wife, Pem. The same year, he was induced in the Hall of Fame by Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia.

A bronze statue of the American inventor was built in the National Statuary Hall Collection in the U.S. Capitol building.

The Farnsworth Peak situated at the northern end of Oquirrh Mountains is named after Philo Farnsworth.

On January 10, 2011, Farnsworth became an inductee of the San Francisco Hall of Fame. Two years later, he was induced into Television Academy Hall of Fame.

Farnsworth was also induced into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneer s of Philadelphia Hall of Fame.

Personal Life & Legacy

While attending college, Philo Farnsworth met Elma “Pem” Gardner whom he married on May 27, 1926. The couple had four sons: Russell, Kent, Philo, and Kenneth.

The inventor’s final years were difficult. He battled depression for years and eventually became addicted to alcohol. He died on March 11, 1971, in Salt Lake City, Utah, after suffering from pneumonia.

Facts About Philo Farnsworth

Philo Farnsworth, the inventor of the first fully functional electronic television system, was known for being a self-taught prodigy in the field of electronics, demonstrating his aptitude at a young age.

Farnsworth held over 300 patents in his lifetime, not just limited to television technology but also including innovations in the fields of nuclear fusion, medical devices, and even a new type of baby incubator.

Despite facing numerous challenges and setbacks in his career, Farnsworth maintained a strong belief in the power of technology to improve people's lives and continued to pursue his inventive endeavors.

Farnsworth was a family man who valued spending time with his wife and children, often involving them in his experiments and projects, fostering a sense of curiosity and innovation within his own family.

Philo Farnsworth Biography

You wanted to know

What invention is Philo Farnsworth known for?

Where did Philo Farnsworth demonstrate his television system for the first time?

What is the significance of Philo Farnsworth's invention in the history of television?

Did Philo Farnsworth face any challenges or controversies during his career as an inventor?