Franklin Leonard Pope
Encyclopedia
Franklin Leonard Pope was an American engineer, explorer, and inventor.
, the son of Ebenezer Pope and Electra Wainwright. He was a telegrapher
, electrical engineer
, explorer
, inventor, and patent attorney
.
He was also a major contributor to the technological advances of the 19th century. He was one of the leaders of the explorations related to the Collins Overland Telegraph, otherwise known as the Russian American Telegraph
.
After developing a system which tracked and printed the prices of gold and stocks, Pope partnered with Thomas Edison
in 1869, forming the company Pope, Edison & Company Electrical Engineers, and invented a one-wire telegraph in 1870. This telegraph is now known as a stock ticker
, and was widely used in large cities for exchange quotations. Pope’s partnership with Edison ended shortly after it was formed.
Pope was awarded several patents for his work in railroad semaphore
lock signal systems, the most important of which was his 1872 invention for the rail circuit for automatic control of the electric-block signal system, which was widely used by the major U.S. railways. Pope was president of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers
from 1886 - 1887.
Pope was an editor of the magazine Electrical Engineer, and edited the electrical section of The Engineering Magazine. Pope also worked as a patent attorney for Western Union Telegraph Company, and was retained as an expert in many important patent suits.
Pope married Sarah Amelia Dickinson on 6 August 1873, and they had three children, two daughters and a son.
Pope died at age 54 as a result of an accidental electrocution
by 3000 volts in the basement of his West Avenue home in Great Barrington.
Biography
He was born in Great Barrington, MassachusettsGreat Barrington, Massachusetts
Great Barrington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,104 at the 2010 census. Both a summer resort and home to Ski Butternut, Great Barrington includes the villages of Van...
, the son of Ebenezer Pope and Electra Wainwright. He was a telegrapher
Telegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
, electrical engineer
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
, explorer
Exploration
Exploration is the act of searching or traveling around a terrain for the purpose of discovery of resources or information. Exploration occurs in all non-sessile animal species, including humans...
, inventor, and patent attorney
Patent attorney
A patent attorney is an attorney who has the specialized qualifications necessary for representing clients in obtaining patents and acting in all matters and procedures relating to patent law and practice, such as filing an opposition...
.
He was also a major contributor to the technological advances of the 19th century. He was one of the leaders of the explorations related to the Collins Overland Telegraph, otherwise known as the Russian American Telegraph
Russian American Telegraph
The Russian–American Telegraph, also known as the Western Union Telegraph Expedition and the Collins Overland Telegraph, was a $3,000,000 undertaking by the Western Union Telegraph Company in 1865-1867, to lay an electric telegraph line from San Francisco, California to Moscow, Russia.The route was...
.
After developing a system which tracked and printed the prices of gold and stocks, Pope partnered with Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
in 1869, forming the company Pope, Edison & Company Electrical Engineers, and invented a one-wire telegraph in 1870. This telegraph is now known as a stock ticker
Ticker tape
Ticker tape was the earliest digital electronic communications medium, transmitting stock price information over telegraph lines, in use between around 1870 through 1970...
, and was widely used in large cities for exchange quotations. Pope’s partnership with Edison ended shortly after it was formed.
Pope was awarded several patents for his work in railroad semaphore
Railway signal
A signal is a mechanical or electrical device erected beside a railway line to pass information relating to the state of the line ahead to train/engine drivers. The driver interprets the signal's indication and acts accordingly...
lock signal systems, the most important of which was his 1872 invention for the rail circuit for automatic control of the electric-block signal system, which was widely used by the major U.S. railways. Pope was president of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers
American Institute of Electrical Engineers
The American Institute of Electrical Engineers was a United States based organization of electrical engineers that existed between 1884 and 1963, when it merged with the Institute of Radio Engineers to form the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers .- History :The 1884 founders of the...
from 1886 - 1887.
Pope was an editor of the magazine Electrical Engineer, and edited the electrical section of The Engineering Magazine. Pope also worked as a patent attorney for Western Union Telegraph Company, and was retained as an expert in many important patent suits.
Pope married Sarah Amelia Dickinson on 6 August 1873, and they had three children, two daughters and a son.
Pope died at age 54 as a result of an accidental electrocution
Electric shock
Electric Shock of a body with any source of electricity that causes a sufficient current through the skin, muscles or hair. Typically, the expression is used to denote an unwanted exposure to electricity, hence the effects are considered undesirable....
by 3000 volts in the basement of his West Avenue home in Great Barrington.
Pope's publications
- Modern Practice of the American Telegraph (1869)
- Modern Practice of the Electrical Telegraph (1871)
- The Life and Works of Joseph Henry (1879)
- The Western Boundary of Massachusetts: a study of Indian and Colonial Life (1886)
- Evolution of the Incandescent Lamp (1889)
- Genealogy of Thomas Pope (1608-1683) and Some of his Descendants (1888).
External links
- http://www.telegraph-history.org/pope/
- http://www.todaysengineer.org/2010/Dec/history.asp IEEE biography of Pope