Daniel E. Noble, (1902-1980), a pioneer in FM radio communications and semiconductor technology, joins Motorola as director of research. The Communications Division is established. A subsidiary sales corporation, Motorola Communications and Electronics, Inc., is organized in 1941.
Motorola develops the first hand-held two-way radio for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. The portable "Handie-Talkie" two-way AM radio becomes a World War II symbol.
The first complete Motorola two-way AM police radio system is installed at Bowling Green, Kentucky. But greater range and quieter operation give FM radio communications the edge over AM equipment. Motorola introduces the first commercial line of two-way FM radio communications products.
Following the outbreak of the war, 125,000 unsold auto radios are converted for home use. Motorola is otherwise fully committed to the war effort. The company resumes the manufacture of electronics for civilian use in 1945.
The first portable FM two-way radio, the "walkie-talkie" backpack radio, is designed by Motorola's Dan Noble. It and the "Handie-Talkie" handheld radio become vital to battlefield communications throughout Europe and the South Pacific during World War II.
The first public stock offering. Paul Galvin encourages employees to purchase stock. A share sells for $8.50.
The Motorola trademark is so widely recognized that the company's name is changed from Galvin Manufacturing Corporation to Motorola, Inc. An EmployeeSavings and Profit Sharing Fund is established. The first issue of a monthly newspaper, the "Voice of Motorola", is distributed to all employees.
Motorola's initial entry into the television business, the $179 "Golden View" model VT71, is the first model to sell for under $200. More than 100,000 of these sets are sold in one year, catapulting Motorola into fourth place in the television industry.
Motorola begins to supply auto radios to Ford and Chrysler plants for installation in their automobiles. The company is soon producing all the radios used by General Motors as well. An auto radio manufacturing facility located in Quincy, Illinois, is Motorola's first plant outside the city of Chicago.
The company's automatic push-button gasoline car heater is a flop. "Motorola will now stick to electronics," says Paul Galvin.
The "Dispatcher" line of two-way FM radio communications equipment takes advantage of the expanded allocation of radio frequencies for the rapidly increasing numbers of industrial and commercial users. Aggressive marketing and a reputation for reliable equipment earn Motorola a leading role in the industry.
Daniel E. Noble launches a Motorola research and development facility in Phoenix, Arizona. By anticipating the enormous potential of the newly invented transistor, he helps Motorola become one of the world's largest manufacturers of semiconductors.
History of Motorola
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A.T.Pon@cs.cf.ac.uk