Raymond A. Litke
Encyclopedia
Raymond A. Litke the inventor of the wireless microphone and other electronic devices, was born and raised near Alma, KS. He served in the Army Air Force in World War II
, but spent most of his adult life in San Jose
, the capital of Silicon Valley
and the third largest city in California
.
Raymond Litke died in 1986, but he lived to see entertainers like Elvis Presley
and Dolly Parton
and reporters like Walter Cronkite
and Katie Couric
use his invention. In technical science, his wireless microphone was a major improvement for news reporting and entertainment.
in 1957 while employed as an electronics expert at San Jose State College. Although he worked on it at his home, his supervisor challenged him to invent a microphone which would be free of wires to use in educational presentations. Scientists reminded him that “because of a lack of sufficient wingspread, it’s not really possible for bees to fly,” said Litke, and experts told him that the chance of a microphone being reliable apart from a wiring system was pretty much the same impossibility. “But the mike works, just as honey bees keep on flying,” Litke told reporters for the San Jose News in 1960. So, though the experts told him that the wireless microphone was an impossibility, Ray Litke managed to invent the world's first wireless microphone by the time the Russians launched Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957.
Litke’s wireless mike resembled a silver tube with “a microphone at the top, a transmitter in the middle and its battery power supply at the bottom.” It was 6 inches long, 1 inch in diameter, and weighed 7 ounces; the device had a broadcast range of up to a half-mile. Two types of mikes were available: lavalier and hand-held. A companion receiver, weighing 17 pounds, completed the portable sound system . Litke’s wireless microphone was a quantum leap in technology that freed entertainers, reporters and others from the leash or electric cords. Today, singers and politicians, mike in hand, perform freely without trailing wires. Litke's invention, whether hand-held or lavalier, was an important contribution to music and entertainment in the 20th Century.
Although Litke perfected the wireless microphone in 1957, he did not file for a patent
until 1960. U.S. Patent No. 3,134,074 was officially filed May 8, 1961 (originally filed January 8, 1960). In this patent, Litke coined the term "lavalier microphone
", which entered the English language around 1962. The use of the word “lavalier” appeared in both the title and body of the patent. The microphone is sometimes also called the “Vega-Mike” after the Vega Electronics Corporation which first manufactured the wireless microphone. Vega is a Delaware
corporation with offices in California. Vega sold other electronics items and tapes developed by Ray Litke.
Litke's wireless microphone was first tested at the Olympic
trials held at Stanford University
in 1959.. Next, the American Broadcasting Company
(ABC television) tested the microphone at the Democratic
and Republican
Conventions in 1960 . This was the first time the American public ever saw the wireless microphone in operation. Presidents John F. Kennedy
and Richard Nixon
were among the first celebrities to use the wireless microphone. TV anchor John Daly
praised Litke's invention on the ABC television news broadcast in July 1960. Daly introduced it to Americans with the words: "This is a Vega-Mike" and went on to explain it "is a wireless microphone, six inches long... without any wires of any kind...." Daly pointed out it could be used to broadcast "within the (convention) hall or outside... without the inconvenience of interconnecting microphone cables...."
The experiences of ABC with the microphone in 1959 and 1960 demonstrated that Litke had created the first portable, practical, and workable wireless microphone. Even the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) was impressed with it. When Litke sought FCC clearance, his demonstration of the microphone's clarity, range, size, and workability was so successful that the FCC gave him 12 frequencies instead of the single one he was seeking . The use of the wireless mike has become commonplace in television, in radio, on stage, and many other places, including Hollywood movie studios.
Medical Center in San Francisco as the chief engineer of Educational Television and as an electronics expert. While there, he developed medical devices which included the fiber-optic colonoscope. He even became involved with moon missions. NASA
employed Ampex
to do the audio/visual equipment for the Apollo missions. Litke was hired as a consultant to help with the design of the video gear. When Neal Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin
returned to Earth on July 21, 1969, they returned with 48.5 pounds of moon rock
s. In recognition and appreciation of Litke’s work for NASA, he was awarded with a moon rock, according to Keith Litke, the inventor's son. Finally, it may be observed that Raymond Litke is a collateral descendent of Fedor (Fyodor) Petrovich Litke
, the famous Russian scientist and explorer. Both men are of German descent, both Protestant by religion, and they share a genius for science and invention. Fedor's grandfather was a Lutheran preacher and writer from Germany who went to Moscow in 1745 to spread the Protestant religion. Raymond was also Lutheran, as were his ancestors. The University of Alaska published a book in 1996 entitled Fedor Petrovich Litke by A.I. Alekseev, bearing ISBN 0-912006-86-2.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but spent most of his adult life in San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, the capital of Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
and the third largest city in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Raymond Litke died in 1986, but he lived to see entertainers like Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
and Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
and reporters like Walter Cronkite
Walter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...
and Katie Couric
Katie Couric
Katherine Anne "Katie" Couric is an American journalist and author. She serves as Special Correspondent for ABC News, contributing to ABC World News, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America, This Week and primetime news specials...
use his invention. In technical science, his wireless microphone was a major improvement for news reporting and entertainment.
Wireless microphone
Litke invented the wireless microphoneWireless microphone
A wireless microphone, as the name implies, is a microphone without a physical cable connecting it directly to the sound recording or amplifying equipment with which it is associated...
in 1957 while employed as an electronics expert at San Jose State College. Although he worked on it at his home, his supervisor challenged him to invent a microphone which would be free of wires to use in educational presentations. Scientists reminded him that “because of a lack of sufficient wingspread, it’s not really possible for bees to fly,” said Litke, and experts told him that the chance of a microphone being reliable apart from a wiring system was pretty much the same impossibility. “But the mike works, just as honey bees keep on flying,” Litke told reporters for the San Jose News in 1960. So, though the experts told him that the wireless microphone was an impossibility, Ray Litke managed to invent the world's first wireless microphone by the time the Russians launched Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957.
Litke’s wireless mike resembled a silver tube with “a microphone at the top, a transmitter in the middle and its battery power supply at the bottom.” It was 6 inches long, 1 inch in diameter, and weighed 7 ounces; the device had a broadcast range of up to a half-mile. Two types of mikes were available: lavalier and hand-held. A companion receiver, weighing 17 pounds, completed the portable sound system . Litke’s wireless microphone was a quantum leap in technology that freed entertainers, reporters and others from the leash or electric cords. Today, singers and politicians, mike in hand, perform freely without trailing wires. Litke's invention, whether hand-held or lavalier, was an important contribution to music and entertainment in the 20th Century.
Although Litke perfected the wireless microphone in 1957, he did not file for a patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
until 1960. U.S. Patent No. 3,134,074 was officially filed May 8, 1961 (originally filed January 8, 1960). In this patent, Litke coined the term "lavalier microphone
Lavalier microphone
A lavalier microphone or lavalier is a small electret or dynamic microphone used for television, theatre, and public speaking applications, in order to allow hands-free operation. They are most commonly provided with small clips for attaching to collars, ties, or other clothing...
", which entered the English language around 1962. The use of the word “lavalier” appeared in both the title and body of the patent. The microphone is sometimes also called the “Vega-Mike” after the Vega Electronics Corporation which first manufactured the wireless microphone. Vega is a Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
corporation with offices in California. Vega sold other electronics items and tapes developed by Ray Litke.
Litke's wireless microphone was first tested at the Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
trials held at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in 1959.. Next, the American Broadcasting Company
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
(ABC television) tested the microphone at the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Conventions in 1960 . This was the first time the American public ever saw the wireless microphone in operation. Presidents John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
and Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
were among the first celebrities to use the wireless microphone. TV anchor John Daly
John Daly
John Daly may refer to:*John Daly , former colonial Anglican bishop* J. Burrwood Daly , U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania* John Charles Daly , veteran radio & TV newsman and television host on What's My Line? 1950–1967...
praised Litke's invention on the ABC television news broadcast in July 1960. Daly introduced it to Americans with the words: "This is a Vega-Mike" and went on to explain it "is a wireless microphone, six inches long... without any wires of any kind...." Daly pointed out it could be used to broadcast "within the (convention) hall or outside... without the inconvenience of interconnecting microphone cables...."
The experiences of ABC with the microphone in 1959 and 1960 demonstrated that Litke had created the first portable, practical, and workable wireless microphone. Even the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) was impressed with it. When Litke sought FCC clearance, his demonstration of the microphone's clarity, range, size, and workability was so successful that the FCC gave him 12 frequencies instead of the single one he was seeking . The use of the wireless mike has become commonplace in television, in radio, on stage, and many other places, including Hollywood movie studios.
Other accomplishments
In the 1960s Raymond Litke worked at the University of CaliforniaUniversity of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
Medical Center in San Francisco as the chief engineer of Educational Television and as an electronics expert. While there, he developed medical devices which included the fiber-optic colonoscope. He even became involved with moon missions. NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
employed Ampex
Ampex
Ampex is an American electronics company founded in 1944 by Alexander M. Poniatoff. The name AMPEX is an acronym, created by its founder, which stands for Alexander M. Poniatoff Excellence...
to do the audio/visual equipment for the Apollo missions. Litke was hired as a consultant to help with the design of the video gear. When Neal Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin is an American mechanical engineer, retired United States Air Force pilot and astronaut who was the Lunar Module pilot on Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing in history...
returned to Earth on July 21, 1969, they returned with 48.5 pounds of moon rock
Moon rock
Moon rock describes rock that formed on the Earth's moon. The term is also loosely applied to other lunar materials collected during the course of human exploration of the Moon.The rocks collected from the Moon are measured by radiometric dating techniques...
s. In recognition and appreciation of Litke’s work for NASA, he was awarded with a moon rock, according to Keith Litke, the inventor's son. Finally, it may be observed that Raymond Litke is a collateral descendent of Fedor (Fyodor) Petrovich Litke
Fyodor Petrovich Litke
Count Fyodor Petrovich Litke , born Friedrich Benjamin Lütke, was a Russian navigator, geographer, and Arctic explorer. He became a count in 1866, and an admiral in 1855. He was a Corresponding Member , Honorable Member , and President of the Russian Academy of Science in St.Petersburg...
, the famous Russian scientist and explorer. Both men are of German descent, both Protestant by religion, and they share a genius for science and invention. Fedor's grandfather was a Lutheran preacher and writer from Germany who went to Moscow in 1745 to spread the Protestant religion. Raymond was also Lutheran, as were his ancestors. The University of Alaska published a book in 1996 entitled Fedor Petrovich Litke by A.I. Alekseev, bearing ISBN 0-912006-86-2.