Born in the country, north of Dayton, Ohio, in 1868, of Quaker parents.
Spent boyhood on farm near Richmond, Indiana. Attended country school; a
nearby high school; and Earlham College. “Explored” wheatfields and
timber regions of Northwest, and cattle ranges and mining camps of
Southwest United States. Came to Washington, D. C., in 1890, and served
as secretary to Sumner I. Kimball, U. S. Life Saving Service. Resigned
in 1895 to take up inventing as a profession. Built the prototype of the
motion picture projector now in every picture theatre the world over;
developed the spiral-wound paraffined all-paper container; and produced
the first photographs by radio, and mechanism for viewing distant scenes
by radio. Has over three hundred patents; and maintains a private
laboratory in Washington. He is a member of the Franklin Institute, the
American Association for the Advancement of Science, and founder of the
Society of Motion Picture Engineers. Has several times been honored by
scientific and other bodies for original research and attainment.