Edwin H. Colpitts

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Edwin H. Colpitts
Edwin H. Colpitts

Edwin Henry Colpitts (January 19, 1872 - 1949) was a communications pioneer best known for his invention of the Colpitts oscillator. As research branch chief for Western Electric in the early 1900s, he and scienists under his direction achieved significant advances in the development of oscillators and vacuum tube push-pull amplifiers. In 1915, his team successfully demonstrated the first transatlantic radio telephone.

Born in Albert County, New Brunswick, Canada, he began his education at Mount Allison University and was later a teacher and school principal in Newfoundland. He later attended Harvard University where he studied physics and mathematics. He received a Master's degree from Harvard in 1897. After two years spent at Harvard as a research assistant, in 1899 he accepted a position with American Bell Telephone Company. He moved to Western Electric in 1907. His colleague, Ralph Hartley invented an inductive coupling oscillator which Colpitts improved in 1915. It was first reported a paper he published, with Edward Craft, in 1919. He patented it as the "Oscillation Generator" in 1920.

Western Electric research laboratories became part of Bell Laboratories in 1925. Colpitts reached the position of vice-president of Bell Labs before retirement. He worked on US government committees working on sonar in the Second World War.

Colpitts died in 1949.

[edit] References

[edit] Publications

  • E. H. Colpitts and O.B.Blackwell, Carrier Current Telephony and Telegraphy, Journal AIEE , vol. 40, no. 4, April 1921, 301-315; no. 5, May 1921, 410-421; no. 6, June 1921, 519-526.