Peter Laurits Jensen (16 May 1886 – 26 October 1961) was a Danish American engineer, inventor and entrepreneur. He founded Magnavox Company and Jensen Radio Manufacturing Company.

Biography

Peter Laurits Jensen was born on May 16, 1886 near Stubbekøbing on the island of

Falster Falster () is an island in south-eastern Denmark with an area of and 43,398 inhabitants as of 1 January 2010.

, Denmark. His parents were Lods Ole Jensen a navigator and Hansine Petersen Jensen. His education began in the village school of Moseby where he showed some promise, he later studied at the boarding school in Norre Alslev and three years later he passed the entrance exam for Copenhagen university. He died in 1961 in

Western Springs, Illinois Western Springs is a village located in Cook County, Illinois, United States, and is a suburb of Chicago. As of the 2010 census, the village had a total population of 12,975. It is twinned with Rugeley, Staffordshire, United Kingdom. In July 1962 ...

, at the age of 75.

Career

Jensen began employment as an apprentice in the laboratory of

Valdemar Poulsen Valdemar Poulsen (23 November 1869 – 23 July 1942) was a Danish engineer who made significant contributions to early radio technology. He developed a magnetic wire recorder called the telegraphone in 1898 and the first continuous wave radio ...

, the inventor of magnetic recording and the Poulsen System of Radio in 1903. He became an assistant to Poulsen in 1905 and was sent to the United States to assist in introducing the Poulsen Radio Arc System in 1909. He was employed as engineer by the Federal Telegraph Company in California, which purchased the Poulsen patent, until November 1910. In 1911, he co-founded with Edwin S. Pridham (1881–1963) the Commercial Wireless and Development Co. in Napa, California, utilizing the financial backing of Richard O'Conner and the engineering assistance of master mechanic Carl Albertus. Jensen and Pridham moved from Napa in 1916, and changed the company name in 1917 to the Magnavox Company. Jensen was employed as chief engineer until 1925. He built with Edwin S. Pridham the first moving coil loudspeaker in 1915.Kornum, Rene.
The loudspeaker is 100 years old
'' Ingeniøren'', 4 November 2015 Called the moving coil principle, the electro-dynamic principle from which the term dynamic speaker later evolved. In 1916 he built and patented the first contained and complete electric reproducing phonograph. Made the first public address system and used on Christmas Eve in 1915 in San Francisco at a gathering where 75,000 people were present and who heard distinctly all the speeches and announcements. The public address systems under the name of Magnavox were used all over the United States. It was used by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson in 1919. World-wide there were no other companies manufacturing public address systems until 1920. He designed the Magnavox dynamic loudspeaker for reception of radio broadcasting in 1919. He also invented and patented, with Edwin S. Pridham, the first anti-noise self-neutralizing microphone in 1917 which allowed wireless communication between aircraft and the ground. This type later became known as the lip microphone, widely used in the First and Second World Wars. Jensen resigned from Magnavox in 1925, and founded the Jensen Radio Manufacturing Company in 1927. He marketed speakers under the trade name "Jensen". He remained president of firm until 1940. He was a consultant to the Radio and Radar Division of the U.S. War Production Board in Washington, D.C., from 1942 to 1946. In 1945, he founded Jensen Industries Inc. for the manufacturing of phonograph needles—and, later in the manufacturing of the stainless steel sink.

Recognition

Jensen was made an honorary Member of the

Audio Engineering Society The Audio Engineering Society (AES) is a professional body for engineers, scientists, other individuals with an interest or involvement in the professional audio industry. The membership largely comprises engineers developing devices or products ...

in 1955. He was honoured by the American Institute of Radio Engineers. He was elected an Extraordinary Member of the Danish Engineering Society, and knighted by the

King of Denmark The monarchy of Denmark is a constitutional political system, institution and a historic office of the Kingdom of Denmark. The Kingdom includes Denmark proper and the autonomous administrative division, autonomous territories of the Faroe ...

in the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known a ...

References

Bibliography

*Peter Jensen, ''The Great Voice'' (written in the 1930s and published in 1975 by the Havilah Press, Texas) *Howard Fertsler, "Jensen, Peter Laurits" in Frank Hoffman, ed. ''Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound'', 2nd. ed. (New YorK: Routledge, 2005) Volume 1, Page 541.

External links

Oakland Wiki

Magnavox Company

Jensen Electronics

History of Jensen Loudspeakers

Audio Engineering Society

Peter L. Jensen and the Magnavox LoudspeakerIn Memoriam

Ingenioren

Mette Stougård: Denmark's Forgotten Inventor. March 23, 2001

City of Napa Department of Public Works

Historical Monument in Napa, Ca.

Jensen RV

Jensen History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jensen, Peter L. 1886 births 1961 deaths American acoustical engineers 20th-century American businesspeople Deaths from lung cancer People from Falster Danish emigrants to the United States Knights of the Order of the Dannebrog 20th-century American inventors