Edwin Howard Armstrong
Edwin Howard Armstrong (1890-1954): Modern Radio
A most prolific and influential inventor and electrical engineer, Armstrong’s discoveries revolutionized electronic communication. He is perhaps best known for inventing the wide band frequency modulation (FM) radio transmission. The invention of FM helped reduce static in radio transmission. While a student at Columbia University, he also invented various circuits and receivers that greatly enhanced radio transmission. He eventually became a professor at Columbia and did early experimentation on frequency modulation in a basement laboratory. In 1934, he worked for RCA and conducted FM experiments from the 85th floor of the Empire State Building. Armstrong held 42 patents, and received numerous awards including the first IEEE Medal of Honor, the 1941 Franklin Medal and 1942 Edison Medal.
