Ted De Boer
Encyclopedia
Ted De Boer was the Founder of the National Inventors Foundation (parent organization of the Inventors Assistance League), which is the first federally chartered non-profit organization
for the purpose of educating the creative individual since the patent
law was established over 200 years ago in 1790. He spent the last 30 years solving the problems of independent inventors and creative people.
Born on an Iowa
farm in 1921, he became interested in radio
and helped neighbors to string up antennas. Beyond the commercial bands, he listened to short-wave radio and became a radio amateur. He attended Grand Rapids Community College
, Calvin College
, New York University
and RCA Institutes.
Famous inventors he worked with include Allen B. DuMont
, father of the cathode ray tube
(CRT). Ted worked in Mr. Dumont's laboratory where he was one of a team of four people who built the first television
set with a 12 inch screen. In 1944, during World War II, he built an oscilloscope
to train military service personnel in electronics
.
In 1945 Ted worked at the United Nations Conference on International Organization
which was the founding meeting of the United Nations
. At this conference in San Francisco, California
he met with Lord Halifax of England, Wellington Koo
of China and Vyacheslav Molotov
and Andrei Gromyko
of Russia.
He also worked with William P. (Bill) Lear
on his aircraft auto-pilot and automatic radio-direction finder. Ted tracked satellites in the South Pacific and missile re-entry instrumentation in the Western Pacific on the Pacific Missile Range.
Ted De Boer was a member of the American Radio Relay League
from which the Inventors Assistance League was developed in its original concept.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
for the purpose of educating the creative individual since the patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
law was established over 200 years ago in 1790. He spent the last 30 years solving the problems of independent inventors and creative people.
Born on an Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
farm in 1921, he became interested in radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and helped neighbors to string up antennas. Beyond the commercial bands, he listened to short-wave radio and became a radio amateur. He attended Grand Rapids Community College
Grand Rapids Community College
Grand Rapids Community College is a community college located in the city of Grand Rapids in the U.S. state of Michigan. GRCC offers an Associate's degree, a variety of certification programs, occupational training, and other learning opportunities for the surrounding community.-Campuses:In...
, Calvin College
Calvin College
Calvin College is a comprehensive liberal arts college located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1876, Calvin College is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church and stands in the Reformed tradition of Protestantism...
, New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
and RCA Institutes.
Famous inventors he worked with include Allen B. DuMont
Allen B. DuMont
Allen Balcom DuMont also spelled Du Mont, was an American scientist and inventor best known for improvements to the cathode ray tube in 1931 for use in television receivers. Seven years later he manufactured and sold the first commercially practical television set to the public...
, father of the cathode ray tube
Cathode ray tube
The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun and a fluorescent screen used to view images. It has a means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam onto the fluorescent screen to create the images. The image may represent electrical waveforms , pictures , radar targets and...
(CRT). Ted worked in Mr. Dumont's laboratory where he was one of a team of four people who built the first television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
set with a 12 inch screen. In 1944, during World War II, he built an oscilloscope
Oscilloscope
An oscilloscope is a type of electronic test instrument that allows observation of constantly varying signal voltages, usually as a two-dimensional graph of one or more electrical potential differences using the vertical or 'Y' axis, plotted as a function of time,...
to train military service personnel in electronics
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
.
In 1945 Ted worked at the United Nations Conference on International Organization
United Nations Conference on International Organization
The United Nations Conference on International Organization was a convention of delegates from 50 Allied nations that took place from 25 April 1945 to 26 June 1945 in San Francisco, California. At this convention, the delegates reviewed and rewrote the Dumbarton Oaks agreements...
which was the founding meeting of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. At this conference in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
he met with Lord Halifax of England, Wellington Koo
Wellington Koo
Koo Vi Kyuin or Ku Wei-chün , often known by the Western name V.K. Wellington Koo, was a prominent diplomat under the Republic of China, representative to the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, Ambassador to France, Great Britain, and the United States; participant in founding the League of Nations...
of China and Vyacheslav Molotov
Vyacheslav Molotov
Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov was a Soviet politician and diplomat, an Old Bolshevik and a leading figure in the Soviet government from the 1920s, when he rose to power as a protégé of Joseph Stalin, to 1957, when he was dismissed from the Presidium of the Central Committee by Nikita Khrushchev...
and Andrei Gromyko
Andrei Gromyko
Andrei Andreyevich Gromyko was a Soviet statesman during the Cold War. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet . Gromyko was responsible for many top decisions on Soviet foreign policy until he retired in 1987. In the West he was given the...
of Russia.
He also worked with William P. (Bill) Lear
Bill Lear
William Powell Lear was an American inventor and businessman. He is best known for founding the Lear Jet Corporation, a manufacturer of business jets...
on his aircraft auto-pilot and automatic radio-direction finder. Ted tracked satellites in the South Pacific and missile re-entry instrumentation in the Western Pacific on the Pacific Missile Range.
Ted De Boer was a member of the American Radio Relay League
American Radio Relay League
The American Radio Relay League is the largest membership association of amateur radio enthusiasts in the USA. ARRL is a non-profit organization, and was founded in May 1914 by Hiram Percy Maxim of Hartford, Connecticut...
from which the Inventors Assistance League was developed in its original concept.