David Sarnoff Research Center records1899-2008, bulk 194.09Sarnoff Corporation.990 linear feetEnglishHagley Museum and Library: Manuscripts and Archives DepartmentThe David Sarnoff Research Center (DSRC) in Princeton, New Jersey was the central research organization for the Radio Corporationof America (RCA) from 1942 to 1987. Following GE’s acquisition of RCA in 1986, the DSRC was donated to SRI International asa contract research laboratory.
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Renamed the Sarnoff Corporation in 1997, it was integrated into SRI in 2011. The records documentthe pioneering research of its scientists and trace the history of the organization from its establishment into the 21st century.
In 2009, along with the rest of the archival collections of the David Sarnoff Library, the David Sarnoff Research Center recordswere donated to the Hagley Museum and Library.This collection contains material from the Manuscripts and Archives Department (M&A) and the Audiovisual Collections and DigitalInitiatives Department (AVD). Box prefixes indicate which department holds an individual file or item.Boxes M&A 127-846, M&A 1061-1064, and M&A 1283-1313 are stored offsite. Please contact the Manuscripts and Archives Departmentat least 48 hours in advance of research visit.
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The David Sarnoff Research Center (DSRC) in Princeton, New Jersey was the central research organization for the Radio Corporationof America (RCA) from 1942 to 1987. Following GE’s acquisition of RCA in 1986, the DSRC was donated to SRI International asa contract research laboratory. Renamed the Sarnoff Corporation in 1997, it was integrated into SRI in 2011.The pioneering work of scientists at the DSRC included the inventions of color television and liquid crystal displays (LCDs),the co-invention of high-definition television (HDTV), and numerous improvements in an array of fields relating to electronics.For the history of RCA, see the historical note for accession 2069, RCA Corporation records:Before RCA LabsResearch in electronics and related fields was critical to the success of RCA throughout its history. Its work in radio andtelevision was performed at an assortment of different laboratories in different organizations until research was centralizedin 1941-1942.Although RCA was only formed in October 1919, its first laboratory was established before the end of the year by Harold H.Beverage in a tent at Riverhead, Long Island. This became the center for radio reception research, while radio transmissionresearch was conducted at the nearby Rocky Point laboratory founded in 1920. Research in radio terminal equipment was carriedout by a third laboratory in Manhattan that was established around this time.RCA entered into manufacturing with the acquisition of the Victor Talking Machine Company of Camden, N.
In 1929 and GeneralElectric’s tube plant in Harrison, N. The following year. Also in 1930, RCA established the License Laboratory in Manhattan.At the start of the 1930s, RCA now had four physically and organizationally separate major research units: the RCA Communications,Inc. Laboratories in Riverhead, Rocky Point, and Manhattan; the RCA Victor Company in Camden; the RCA Radiotron Company inHarrison; and the License Laboratory (later the Industrial Service Laboratory) in Manhattan.The initial steps to consolidate research were made at the end of 1934 and beginning of 1935.
First, the RCA Victor Companyand RCA Radiotron Company became divisions of the newly established RCA Manufacturing Company. This was followed by the appointmentof Ralph R.
Beal as Research Supervisor (later Research Director) with responsibility for coordinating RCA research.Despite these efforts, leading figures at RCA were dissatisfied by an organization where the manufacturing and operating unitscontrolled the research groups. This made it very difficult for teams to conduct long-term research when they were judgedon their contributions to the short-term goals of the production units.At the end of 1940, Otto S. Schairer sent RCA President David Sarnoff a proposal for the establishment of RCA Laboratoriesas a central research organization. In addition to addressing RCA’s organizational problems, the proposal recommended theconstruction of a central laboratory facility in Princeton, N.
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Princeton was selected mostly because of its convenienceto the existing RCA plants in Camden and Harrison, as well as company headquarters in New York City.On March 5, 1941, General Order S—56 established RCA Laboratories under Vice-President Schairer. All four major research groupswere made part of the new organization and most teams were slated to move to Princeton.Construction of the new Princeton laboratories began in the summer of 1941 and the facility was dedicated on September 27,1942. In 1951, it was renamed the David Sarnoff Research Center (DSRC) in honor of David Sarnoff, RCA’s longtime head.1942-1950sFounded in the midst of the Second World War, RCA Laboratories initial work focused on military electronics, especially opto-electronics,high frequency tube design, and acoustics. This led to immediate applications in radar, radio antennas, and infrared scopes.Particularly important was the image orthicon tube (nicknamed “immy”), a major breakthrough in television cameras and forwhich the “Emmy” award was named.In the post-war period, research increasingly shifted from electronics development to fundamental research into electronicmaterials.
When Bell Labs announced the invention of the transistor in 1948, RCA Laboratories quickly realized that it wouldhave a profound impact on electronics. By the end of the decade, the Labs were investing substantial resources into solidstate technology research and would continue to do so into the 21st century.Despite this shift, the late 1940s and early 1950s saw the Laboratories lead the successful development of the all-electroniccompatible color television system (NTSC).Satellite LaboratoriesIn order to focus on long-term research without neglecting support of the product divisions, RCA Laboratories establishedwhat were variously called resident, satellite, or affiliated laboratories. These were labs established at the DSRC by productdivisions to improve research coordination with RCA Laboratories. The product divisions provided the funding and technicaldirection.The first such lab was created by the transfer of the RCA Tube Division’s Microwave Advanced Development Group from Harrison,New Jersey to the DSRC in December 1956.
The number of satellite laboratories peaked at eleven in 1962. In 1972, the remaininglabs were merged into RCA Laboratories, with the exception of the small Materials and Display Device Laboratory. Around thesame time, a new model of satellite laboratory was implemented with the establishment of the Solid State Technology Center.In this model, RCA Laboratories created laboratories that were located at, and reported to, the product divisions.
RCA Labscooperated with planning and monitoring the research projects.1960s-1980sDuring the 1960s, a research team led by George H. Heilmeier developed the first liquid crystal displays (LCDs). At the sametime, other teams made breakthroughs on lasers and holography.Attempts to apply these revolutionary advances were handicapped by the increasing demands from senior management and the productdivisions for support of advanced development. The David Sarnoff Research Center records document the pioneering research of its scientists and trace the history of theorganization from the establishment of RCA Laboratories in 1941 through its transformation into an independent contract researchlaboratory in 1987 and into the 21st century.
Pre-1941 RCA research is also documented, particularly in the R. Kenyon Kilboncollection (Record group 19).Making up the bulk of the collection, the detailed and highly technical lab notebooks (Record group 26) are potentially themost valuable, but also the most difficult to use. Researchers are encouraged to use the progress reports (Record group 27)as a guide to which notebooks may be of interest. The David Sarnoff Research Center records are part of the David Sarnoff Library collection (Accession 2464). The collectionincludes nineteen other finding aids:Consumer electronics history collectionManuscripts and Archives Department, Hagley Museum and Library.David Sarnoff Library recordsManuscripts and Archives Department and Audiovisual Collections and Digital Initiatives Department, Hagley Museum and Library.Charles B.
Scope and ContentThe President’s Office records include high-level planning and management records from Otto S. Schairer, James Hillier, andJames Carnes. The Hillier papers also document his work developing the electron microscope from the late 1930s to early 1950s.Historical NoteWhen RCA Laboratories was established in 1941, the top two executives were Vice-President, RCA Laboratories Otto S.
Schairerand Research Department Director Ralph R. In 1943, Beal was replaced by Elmer W. Engstrom.In 1945, Schairer stepped down in favor of Charles B. Joliffe, who was succeeded by Engstrom in 1951, with Irving Wolff takingover the Research Department. Promoted to Executive Vice-President, Research and Engineering in 1954, Engstrom also continuedas Vice-President, RCA Laboratories until Douglas H. Ewing’s appointment the following year. Engstrom was promoted again in1955 to Senior Vice-President, but remained responsible for Research and Engineering.Ewing was promoted to Vice-President, Research and Engineering in 1957 and James Hillier took over his previous position.George H.
Brown replaced Ewing in 1961 and the Research Department, where Humboldt W. Leverenz had replaced Wolff in 1959,was abolished.James Hillier succeeded Brown in 1968, while William M. Webster took over RCA Laboratories.
In 1976, Hillier moved into anadvisory position and William C. Hittinger was appointed Executive Vice-President, Research and Engineering. Hittinger serveduntil a reorganization in 1983 eliminated Research and Engineering.James J. Tietjen, who had succeeded Webster as Vice-President, RCA Laboratories in 1985, became the first President of theDavid Sarnoff Research Center when it was incorporated as a subsidiary of SRI in 1987.
James Carnes was appointed Presidentin 1990 and served until 2002 when he was replaced by Satyam C. Carnes returned as interim President in 2006-2007.After brief terms as president by Don Newsome and Mark A.
Clifton, the position was eliminated when the Sarnoff Corporationwas integrated into SRI in 2011.
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