Nathan B. Stubblefield | |
|---|---|
 Stubblefield (1908) with his later, induction, wireless telephone | |
| Born | November 22, 1860 |
| Died | March 28, 1928 (aged 67) |
| Resting place | Bowman Cemetery |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | inventor |
| Known for | wireless telephony |
| Spouse | Ada Mae Stubblefield |
| Children | 8 |
Nathan Beverly Stubblefield[1] (November 22, 1860 – March 28, 1928) was an American inventor best known for his wireless telephone work. Self-described as a "practical farmer, fruit grower and electrician",[2] he received widespread attention in early 1902 when he gave a series of public demonstrations of a battery-operated wireless telephone, which could be transported to different locations and used on mobile platforms such as boats. While this initial design employed conduction, in 1908 he received a U.S. patent for a wireless telephone system that used magnetic induction. However, he was ultimately unsuccessful in commercializing his inventions. He later went into seclusion, and died alone in 1928.
Disagreement exists whether Stubblefield's communications technology can be classified as radio, and if his 1902 demonstrations could be considered the first "radio broadcasts". Most reviews of his efforts have concluded that they were not radio transmissions, because his devices, although they used a form of "wireless", employed conduction and inductive fields, while the standard definition of radio is the transmission of electromagnetic radiation. However, Stubblefield may have been the first to simultaneously transmit audio wirelessly to multiple receivers, albeit over relatively short distances, while predicting the eventual development of broadcasting on a national scale.
- ^ Kappele, William A.; Kappele, Cora (2000-04-01). Scenic Driving Kentucky. Globe Pequot. p. 202. ISBN 9781560447337.
Nathan Beverly Stubblefield, the third of 4 sons of William Jefferson and Victoria Frances Stubblefield
- ^ "Kentucky Inventor Solves Problem of Wireless Telephony", The Sunny South, March 8, 1902, page 6.