Dr. Lee de Forest was one of the most important 20th Century inventors of radio and electronics technology, a formally educated scientist whose inventions touch every life.

He is most known for his pioneering work with the vacuum tube, first as a detector of radio waves, then as an amplifier for long distance telephone calls, and finally as the major technology of the radio transmitter, still in use today.

Even though he was recognized by many
	In 1956, de Forest was presented with several awards, one of which was the plaque, left, which was to mark the building site in New York where in 1906 the "grid Audion or 3 element vacuum tube" was invented.

His Importance has always been lessened by controversy
	Although de Forest was responsible for some of the more significant technical radio accomplishments of the Twentieth Century, his career was one of continuing controversy; he was accused of stealing inventions from Fessenden and Armstrong, he was accused but not convicted of business fraud, and his continual exaggeration of the facts surrounding his life and career caused him to become estranged from the engineering establishment. Even though he wrote an autobiography proclaiming himself, "the Father of Radio," he never received the respect he actively sought his entire life.

Reflecting upon an interesting life
	Lee de Forest's accomplishments in the area of radio technology were both huge and unrequited. His vacuum tube innovations between 1906 and 1916, although clouded by court battles, were significant and long lasting. In his later years he lived in Hollywood and worked on a variety of non-radio technical devices, most notable his Phonofilm process which made the movies talk. For that he received an Oscar. He continued to promote his legacy as the "Father of Radio." He became increasingly paranoid, believing that his failure to achieve recognition was because of his "enemies." Explore More Lee Links | Read Stephen Greene's Article on Lee's Legacy