Philo Farnsworth

Location Description

Inside the east wing of the Utah State Capitol, on the fourth floor, overlooking the atrium.

Bio

Philo Taylor Farnsworth was an American inventor and engineer born on August 19, 1906, in Beaver, Utah. He is best known for his work in the development of television technology, and is widely regarded as one of the most important inventors of the 20th century.

Farnsworth became interested in electronics at a young age and by the time he was in high school, he had developed a number of important ideas related to television technology. He went on to attend Brigham Young University, where he continued to work on his ideas and eventually filed a patent for an “Electronic Television System.”

Farnsworth’s innovations in television technology allowed for the development of electronic television, which was a major leap forward from the mechanical television systems of the time. He continued to work on television technology throughout his life and was awarded numerous patents for his work.

Farnsworth’s contributions to the development of television technology had a profound impact on the world and he is widely regarded as one of the most important inventors of the 20th century. Despite this, he received relatively little recognition for his work during his lifetime and struggled financially for much of his career.

Philo Farnsworth died on March 11, 1971, but his legacy continues to live on. He is remembered as a visionary inventor who paved the way for the development of television as we know it today, and his impact on the world of technology and communication is still felt today.

Monument Description

He is depicted standing and holding one of his bulky image dissector vacuum tubes, deep in thought on how to improve it. The inscription on the statue’s base reads, “Father of Television.” A plaque also highlights that Philo developed the first electron microscope and baby incubator, and at the time of his death in 1971, he was working on cold nuclear fusion.