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SUMMARY:Archival Adventures: Invention of the Walkie-Talkie
DESCRIPTION:It's time for an adventure! This week we listen for messages 
 from the past as we explore the invention of the Walkie-Talkie using the Al 
 Gross Papers (Ms.2001.011). \n\nAl Gross was born in Toronto\, Ontario\, 
 but was raised in Cleveland\, Ohio. Known as the father of wireless 
 communications\, Gross invented the walkie-talkie in 1938* at age 20 and by 
 1941 the Office of Strategic Services (now known as the CIA) was eager to 
 develop a lightweight\, portable communications system for air-to-ground 
 contact. The OSS recruited Gross and he devised the "Joan-Eleanor System" 
 using Hertzian radio waves which were virtually impossible to intercept 
 even from behind enemy lines. Gross' invention was a huge success and was 
 praised by the US Joint Chiefs of Staff as being one of the most successful 
 wireless intelligence gathering methods ever employed.\n\nAfter the war\, 
 Gross formed the Citizens Radio Corporation and sold his units to the 
 public\, mostly to farmers and the US Coast Guard. In 1949 Gross had 
 another breakthrough invention\, the telephone pager. That same year Gross 
 attended a medical conference in Philadelphia to introduce the pager system 
 to doctors. Unfortunately\, many of the doctors were apprehensive of the 
 device stating it would interfere with their leisure time or upset their 
 patients. The pager never caught on for Gross\, proving he was decades 
 ahead of his time.\n\nGross continued to invent for his entire lifespan\, 
 compiling 12 patents. But Gross' patents expired long before the world was 
 ready for pagers\, cell phones\, and CB radio. Instead of reaping the 
 monetary benefits of his inventions\, Gross is rich in awards and 
 recognitions. Most recently\, Gross became the sixth person to be awarded 
 the Lemelson-MIT Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. Eight months later on 
 December 28\, 2000\, Gross died at his Arizona home.\n\n*The Canadian 
 inventor Donald Hings was the first to create a portable radio signaling 
 system for his employer CM&S in 1937. He called the system a "packset"\, 
 although it later became known as a "walkie-talkie".\n\nJoin our community 
 collections archivist\, Anthony Wright de Hernandez\, for a livestream on 
 Twitch! Every week we explore and discuss materials from Special 
 Collections and University Archives covering topics including university 
 history\, NASA pioneers\, architecture\, science fiction\, cooking\, LGBTQ  
 history\, Black history\, urban legends\, and more. Recordings of previous 
 streams are available on the Libraries' Youtube page.\n\nIf you are an 
 individual with a disability and desire an accommodation\, welcome! Please 
 email library-event-accessibility@groups.office365.vt.edu at least 10 days 
 prior to the event. \n\nJoin Meeting: https://www.twitch.tv/vtulstudios
ORGANIZER;CN="Anthony Wright de Hernandez":MAILTO:antwri@vt.edu
CATEGORIES:Livestream
CONTACT;CN="Anthony Wright de Hernandez":MAILTO:antwri@vt.edu
STATUS:CONFIRMED
UID:LibCal-13934252
URL:https://calendar.lib.vt.edu/event/13934252
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