Edward S. Rogers, Sr.
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Edward S. “Ted” Rogers, Sr. (June 21, 1900 – May 6, 1939) is regarded as the founder of Rogers Communications although it was established in 1967. He died at the age of 38.
Ted Rogers first became interested in radio when he saw a receiver at age 11. By 1913 he was noted in local newspapers for his skill at operating a radio station, which at the time was a noted technical accomplishment. Rogers worked as a radio officer on Great Lakes passenger ships during the summers of 1916-1919 inclusive. In 1921 Rogers operated the only Canadian (and only spark) station to successfully compete in the first amateur trans-Atlantic radio competition. Rogers held the amateur radio call sign 3BP, and joined the Canadian chapter of the American Radio Relay League in 1921.
In the early 1920s, radio receivers ran on large and expensive batteries to provide the high voltages needed for the vacuum tubes used. Early attempts at producing a radio receiver to operate on household alternating current were unsuccessful, since tubes designed for the direct current supply from batteries were unsatisfactory when operated on 25- or 60-hertz alternating current.
In April 1924 Rogers travelled to the United States and saw experimental AC receiving tubes at the laboratories of Westinghouse in Pittsburgh. He purchased the patent rights to the experimental alternating current tubes of Frederick S. McCullogh. After further development Rogers produced a design of vacuum tube that would operate on alternating current. By 1925 Rogers had introduced not only a complete radio receiver using the new tubes, but had also produced a "battery eliminator" (power supply) that could be used with other manufacturers receivers to eliminate the expensive batteries. By August 1925 the Rogers "Batteryless" radio was in commercial sales, the first radio receiver in the world to operate from household current. At a time when a schoolteacher might earn $1000 per year, the top-of-the-line Rogers radio sold for $370. Rogers formed the company "Standard Radio Manufacturing" to produce radio receivers using the new design of vacuum tubes.
In 1927, he founded CFRB (Canada’s First Rogers Batteryless) radio station. The station is owned today by Standard Broadcasting.
In 1930, he married Velma Melissa Taylor. His son is Edward Samuel Rogers, founder of Rogers Communications.
Ted Rogers died suddenly in 1939 of an aneurysm, complicated by ulcers.
[edit] References
Ian A. Anthony, Radio Wizard Edward Samuel Rogers and the Revolution of Communications, Gage Publishing for Rogers, Toronto 2000
[edit] External links
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