Paul Vincent Galvin (June 29, 1895 – November 5, 1959) was an American chief executive, who was one of the two founders of telecommunications company
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. () was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, United States. After having lost $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009, the company split into two independent public companies, Motorol ...
. Founded as Galvin Manufacturing Corporation on September 25, 1928, Motorola became a leader in communications equipment. Galvin created the
mass production car radio
Vehicle audio is equipment installed in a car or other vehicle to provide in-car entertainment and information for the vehicle occupants. Until the 1950s it consisted of a simple AM radio. Additions since then have included FM radio (1952), 8 ...
, which provided the cornerstone of Motorola's early business. The company name "Motorola" was introduced in 1930.
Biography
Galvin was born in
Harvard, Illinois. He served as an artillery officer during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. Later, Galvin attended
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to 1890, the present name was adopted upon the merger of the Armour Institute and Lewis Institute in 1940. The university has prog ...
. During college, Galvin was an active member of the
Phi Kappa Theta
Phi Kappa Theta (), commonly known as Phi Kap, is a national social fraternity that has over 35 active chapters and colonies at universities across 21 U.S. states. The fraternity was founded on April 29, 1959, at Ohio State University in Columbu ...
fraternity. He lived briefly in
Marshfield, Wisconsin
Marshfield is a city in northwest Wood and southwest Marathon counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 10, Highway 13 and Highway 97. The largest city in Wood County, its population was 18,929 at t ...
. In 1942, his wife Lillian was murdered in their home in
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston ( ) is a city, suburb of Chicago. Located in Cook County, Illinois, United States, it is situated on the North Shore along Lake Michigan. Evanston is north of Downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, ...
, a murder which was never solved.
Six sigma was developed at Motorola under the leadership of his son,
Bob Galvin.
Other
The school library on the
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to 1890, the present name was adopted upon the merger of the Armour Institute and Lewis Institute in 1940. The university has prog ...
's main campus is named after Galvin.
The biology building at the
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic university, Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend, Indiana, South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin fo ...
is called Galvin Hall, named after Paul Galvin.
The Paul V. Galvin Playhouse at Arizona State University is named for Paul Galvin. With its continental seating and a capacity of 485 seats, the Galvin, a proscenium theater, hosts many events and performances every year, including dance concerts, theatre production, welcome and convocation events, film screenings and more.
See also
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Battery eliminator
A battery eliminator is a device powered by an electrical source other than a battery, which then converts the source to a suitable DC voltage that may be used by a second device designed to be powered by batteries. A battery eliminator does awa ...
External links
Paul Galvinat the
Automotive Hall of Fame
The Automotive Hall of Fame is an American museum. It was founded in 1939 and has over 800 worldwide honorees. It is part of the MotorCities National Heritage Area. the Automotive Hall of Fame includes persons who have contributed greatly to a ...
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Motorola employees
American chief executives
1895 births
1959 deaths
People from Harvard, Illinois
People from Marshfield, Wisconsin
American military personnel of World War I
Illinois Institute of Technology alumni
American automotive pioneers
20th-century American businesspeople
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