1. Foundations of Silicon Valley James C. Williams Emeritus Professor, De Anza College

2. Colonial California and the origins of the Bay Area’s electronics industry California electric power * absence of coal * hydraulic engineering * development of hydroelectricity and long-distance, high-tension power transmission

3. Technical organizations Technical Society of the Pacific Coast (1884) Pacific Coast Electric Transmission Association (1897) The Journal of Electricity (1895) A regional community of professional discourse

4. Education in Electricity A. Van der Naillen's School of Practical Engineering and Heald's College (1890) University of California and Clarence L. Cory (1892) Stanford University (1891) hired Albert P. Carmen, Princeton (1892)

5. Frederic Auten Combs Perrine (1862-1908) Hired by Stanford in 1893 to teach electrical engineering, staying until 1900 Edited The Journal of Electricity and Electrical Engineering (1895- 1898)

6. Chief Engineer, Standard Electric Power Company (1898-1900) President, Stanley Electrical Mfg. Company, Massachusetts (1900-1904) Electra Powerhouse, 1899

7. Harris J. Ryan (1866-1934) In 1905, Perrine in finally replaced by Ryan, the east coast’s best known researcher in electric transmission

8. Ryan continues Perrine's close ties to power companies Brings high voltage labs to Stanford 1913 1926

9. By 1914, California led the world in long-distance, high-tension transmission systems and maintained that leadership well into the 1920s

10. Frank George Baum (1870-1932) E.E. degree from Stanford, 1899 Took over for Perrine and ran the EE program from 1898-1903 Transmission and hydro chief at PG&E until 1923

11. Patented “constant potential electric transmission system” In 1922, oversaw construction of the first 220,000 volt transmission line National Superpower proposed in Atlas of the U.S.A. Electric Power Industry (1923)

12. Wireless in the Bay Area San Francisco Bay navigation hazards – fog and the Golden Gate Guglielmo Marconi invents the wireless in 1897

13. Cyril F. Elwell (1884-1963) Ryan student at Stanford, 1907 Works on wireless of Francis McCarty Demonstrates it in Palo Alto in 1908

14. Elwell wires Vladimir Poulsen (1869- 1942) in Copenhagen Elwell buys Poulsen wireless rights David Starr Jordon, Charles D. Marx and John Casper Branner provide capital Demonstrations attract San Francisco investors

15. Federal Telegraph Co. locates in Palo Alto in 1911 Elwell organizes a radio research team headed by Lee de Forest (1873-1961)

16. Communities of interest Federal Telegraph Co.’s spin-offs The Radio Research Team L-R: Douglas Perham Peter V. Jensen F. Albertus

17. Commercial Wireless Development Co (1910) became Magnovox Fisher Research Labs (metal detectors and navigation aids) Litton Engineering Laboratories (vacuum tubes and tube production equipment) Pridhim and Jensen

18. Other Bay Area companies Heintz and Kaufman (shortwave radio communications) Eitel and McCullough (radio tubes) … a spin-off from Heintz and Kaufman Philo Farnsworth (television)

19. Conclusion Geographic and economic conditions Communities of technical interest University and industry cooperation Regional capital and investment Electric power development Radio communications