George Clark Southworth
Encyclopedia
George Clark Southworth who published as G. C. Southworth, was a prominent American
radio engineer best known for his role in the discovery of waveguide
s in the early 1930s.
, and studied one year at Columbia University
. In June 1917 he joined the National Bureau of Standards, then in 1918 moved to Yale University
to teach in a Signal Corps school. He remained at Yale to complete a doctorate in 1923 on the measurement of the dielectric constant
of water at frequencies above 15 MHz.
Southworth left Yale for a position with the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, where he first helped edit the Bell System Technical Journal
, but then switched to researching shortwave
radio propagation
.
In 1931 he began to study wave propagation in dielectric rods, by early 1932 observed wave propagation in a water-filled copper pipe, and by May 1933 transmitted waves through air-filled copper pipes up to 20 feet in length. (He later recalled that the first message sent through a waveguide was "Send money.") After he constructed a 5-in.-diameter waveguide
with a length of 875 feet, the project was moved to the Bell Telephone Laboratories in Holmdel, New Jersey, where he spent the rest of his career until retirement in 1955.
Southworth received the Morris N. Liebmann Award in 1938, and the IEEE Medal of Honor
in 1963 "For pioneering contributions to microwave radio physics, to radio astronomy
, and to waveguide transmission."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
radio engineer best known for his role in the discovery of waveguide
Waveguide
A waveguide is a structure which guides waves, such as electromagnetic waves or sound waves. There are different types of waveguides for each type of wave...
s in the early 1930s.
Biography
Southworth was born in Little Cooley, Pennsylvania, graduated in 1914 with a physics degree from Grove City CollegeGrove City College
Grove City College is a Christian liberal arts college in Grove City, Pennsylvania, about north of Pittsburgh. According to the College Bulletin, its stated three-fold mission is to provide an excellent education at an affordable price in a thoroughly Christian environment...
, and studied one year at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. In June 1917 he joined the National Bureau of Standards, then in 1918 moved to Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
to teach in a Signal Corps school. He remained at Yale to complete a doctorate in 1923 on the measurement of the dielectric constant
Dielectric constant
The relative permittivity of a material under given conditions reflects the extent to which it concentrates electrostatic lines of flux. In technical terms, it is the ratio of the amount of electrical energy stored in a material by an applied voltage, relative to that stored in a vacuum...
of water at frequencies above 15 MHz.
Southworth left Yale for a position with the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, where he first helped edit the Bell System Technical Journal
Bell System Technical Journal
The Bell System Technical Journal was the in-house scientific journal of Bell Labs that was published from 1922 to 1983.- Notable papers :...
, but then switched to researching shortwave
Shortwave
Shortwave radio refers to the upper MF and all of the HF portion of the radio spectrum, between 1,800–30,000 kHz. Shortwave radio received its name because the wavelengths in this band are shorter than 200 m which marked the original upper limit of the medium frequency band first used...
radio propagation
Radio propagation
Radio propagation is the behavior of radio waves when they are transmitted, or propagated from one point on the Earth to another, or into various parts of the atmosphere...
.
In 1931 he began to study wave propagation in dielectric rods, by early 1932 observed wave propagation in a water-filled copper pipe, and by May 1933 transmitted waves through air-filled copper pipes up to 20 feet in length. (He later recalled that the first message sent through a waveguide was "Send money.") After he constructed a 5-in.-diameter waveguide
Waveguide
A waveguide is a structure which guides waves, such as electromagnetic waves or sound waves. There are different types of waveguides for each type of wave...
with a length of 875 feet, the project was moved to the Bell Telephone Laboratories in Holmdel, New Jersey, where he spent the rest of his career until retirement in 1955.
Southworth received the Morris N. Liebmann Award in 1938, and the IEEE Medal of Honor
IEEE Medal of Honor
The IEEE Medal of Honor is the highest recognition of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers . It has been awarded since 1917, when its first recipient was Major Edwin H. Armstrong. It is given for an exceptional contribution or an extraordinary career in the IEEE fields of...
in 1963 "For pioneering contributions to microwave radio physics, to radio astronomy
Radio astronomy
Radio astronomy is a subfield of astronomy that studies celestial objects at radio frequencies. The initial detection of radio waves from an astronomical object was made in the 1930s, when Karl Jansky observed radiation coming from the Milky Way. Subsequent observations have identified a number of...
, and to waveguide transmission."
Selected works
- Principles and applications of wave-guide transmission, New York, Van Nostrand [1950], xi, 689 p. illus. 24 cm. Bell Telephone Laboratories series. LCCN 50009834.
- Forty years of Radio Research, 1962.