Hollywood (H)IT (Part 4)

 

Part 2 and Part 3 of this series traversed the life-journey of Hedy Lamarr and George Antheil plotting the dots that draw the picture of inventing of Frequency-Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS).

One of the common motivating factors behind the invention was Lamarr's and Antheil's loathing of Hitler and the Nazis. Hedy wanted to contribute to the war effort. In fact, in 1941 she did contribute by helping sell war bonds. The legend is that she raised $7 million in one night by selling $25,000 worth of bonds accompanied with a kiss from her.

National Inventors Council
During the war the government had formed a council to collect different ideas and concepts from people that could be used for the war effort. Antheil and Lamarr sent their idea to the National Inventors Council in December of 1940. A New York Times story called it a "Secret Communication System".

One version of the story says that the council's chairman, Charles F. Kettering, research director for General Motors, suggested that they refine the idea and patent it.

Heeding to this advice, the duo worked on their idea for several months and according to Tony Rothman--the author of "Everything is Relative"--with the help of a Professor Mackowen of the electrical engineering department at CalTech, they ironed out bugs and submitted their patent on June 10, 1941. A year later on August 11, 1942 the patent was awarded to H. …

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