Orestes H. Caldwell
Encyclopedia
Orestes Hampton Caldwell was one of the first five members of the Federal Radio Commission
and may have been the first person to coin the term electronics
. Born 1888 in Lexington, Kentucky
, he graduated from Purdue University
as an electrical engineer, specializing in telephone and communications. In 1907 he succeeded Lee De Forest
as technical editor of Western Electrician (later Electrical Review). He went on to edit a number of engineering and technical journals, including Electrical World, Electrical Merchandising, and Radio Retailing. In 1927, with the backing of United States Department of Commerce
Secretary Herbert Hoover
, he was appointed to the newly created Federal Radio Commission
, where he helped oversee the reorganization of the U.S. radio system. His tenure on the FRC was marked by consistent support for high-powered radio, a position that led to frequent clashes with the United States Congress
. Making matters worse, he seemed to lack the temperament for politics; as one newspaper put it, "A stormy petrel on the commission from start to finish, he narrowly escaped confirmation by the Senate both times. When he was on the grill the second time, he added to the gayety of the situation by bawling out Congress and this caused such a melee that he came within a couple of votes of being thrown out."
One of the enemies Caldwell made was a key senator for radio policy, Clarence Dill
, who helped author the Radio Act of 1927. Upon Caldwell's resignation from the FRC, Dill commented, "Since Mr. Caldwell is leaving the commission I am not going to spend time discussing [his work there], except to say that I think the country is very fortunate that he has left. … I think anybody would be an improvement over Mr. Caldwell so far as the service of the public is concerned."
Nonetheless, Caldwell had the reputation of being the most technologically knowledgeable of the early Radio Commissioners. Following his stint on the FRC, he returned to the industry as editor of Electronics and in other capacities. A passionate fan of electronic gadgets, he hosted a weekly show called Radio Magic on NBC
in the late 1930s and early 1940s. He also outfitted his house in Cos Cob, Connecticut
, with all kinds of electrical devices as a kind of "Dwelling of the Future." World Trade called it the "House of One Thousand Servants" and "an electrical fairyland where every function and every household chore is accomplished automatically."
Federal Radio Commission
The Federal Radio Commission was a government body that regulated radio use in the United States from its creation in 1926 until its replacement by the Federal Communications Commission in 1934...
and may have been the first person to coin the term electronics
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
. Born 1888 in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, he graduated from Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
as an electrical engineer, specializing in telephone and communications. In 1907 he succeeded Lee De Forest
Lee De Forest
Lee De Forest was an American inventor with over 180 patents to his credit. De Forest invented the Audion, a vacuum tube that takes relatively weak electrical signals and amplifies them. De Forest is one of the fathers of the "electronic age", as the Audion helped to usher in the widespread use...
as technical editor of Western Electrician (later Electrical Review). He went on to edit a number of engineering and technical journals, including Electrical World, Electrical Merchandising, and Radio Retailing. In 1927, with the backing of United States Department of Commerce
United States Department of Commerce
The United States Department of Commerce is the Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with promoting economic growth. It was originally created as the United States Department of Commerce and Labor on February 14, 1903...
Secretary Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
, he was appointed to the newly created Federal Radio Commission
Federal Radio Commission
The Federal Radio Commission was a government body that regulated radio use in the United States from its creation in 1926 until its replacement by the Federal Communications Commission in 1934...
, where he helped oversee the reorganization of the U.S. radio system. His tenure on the FRC was marked by consistent support for high-powered radio, a position that led to frequent clashes with the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
. Making matters worse, he seemed to lack the temperament for politics; as one newspaper put it, "A stormy petrel on the commission from start to finish, he narrowly escaped confirmation by the Senate both times. When he was on the grill the second time, he added to the gayety of the situation by bawling out Congress and this caused such a melee that he came within a couple of votes of being thrown out."
One of the enemies Caldwell made was a key senator for radio policy, Clarence Dill
Clarence Dill
Clarence Cleveland Dill was an American politician from the state of Washington. He was a Democrat.Dill was born in Knox County, Ohio. He attended Ohio Wesleyan University, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi....
, who helped author the Radio Act of 1927. Upon Caldwell's resignation from the FRC, Dill commented, "Since Mr. Caldwell is leaving the commission I am not going to spend time discussing [his work there], except to say that I think the country is very fortunate that he has left. … I think anybody would be an improvement over Mr. Caldwell so far as the service of the public is concerned."
Nonetheless, Caldwell had the reputation of being the most technologically knowledgeable of the early Radio Commissioners. Following his stint on the FRC, he returned to the industry as editor of Electronics and in other capacities. A passionate fan of electronic gadgets, he hosted a weekly show called Radio Magic on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in the late 1930s and early 1940s. He also outfitted his house in Cos Cob, Connecticut
Cos Cob, Connecticut
Cos Cob is a neighborhood and census-designated place in the town of Greenwich, Connecticut. It is located at 41.033 north, 73.6 west, on the Connecticut shoreline in southern Fairfield County. It had a population of 6,770 at the 2010 census....
, with all kinds of electrical devices as a kind of "Dwelling of the Future." World Trade called it the "House of One Thousand Servants" and "an electrical fairyland where every function and every household chore is accomplished automatically."