Background
Eugene J. Polley was born November 29, 1915 in Chicago, Illinois. He attended the City Colleges of Chicago and Armour Institute of Technology, but left before graduating.
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Eugene J. Polley was born November 29, 1915 in Chicago, Illinois. He attended the City Colleges of Chicago and Armour Institute of Technology, but left before graduating.
In 1935, he was hired as a stock boy for Zenith Electronics. He moved to the company"s parts department, where he created the company"s first catalog, then transferred to engineering, where his assignments included work on radar during World World War II for the United States. Department of Defense. His 1955 invention, marketed as the Flash-Matic, used visible light to remotely control a television outfitted with four photo cells in the cabinet at the corners of the screen.
Aiming the pistol-shaped control at an individual photocell could turn the receiver on and off, mute the sound and change the channel up or down.
Polley also worked on the push-button car radio and contributed to the development of video disks. Polley"s career at Zenith included positions as a product engineer and mechanical engineer
Polley later managed its Video Recording Group, then its Advanced Mechanical Design Group. He eventually became Assistant Division Chief for Zenith"s Mechanical Engineering Group.
He retired after a 47-year career in which he earned 18 United States. patents.
His death was announced by Zenith Electronics, for whom he worked from 1935 to 1982. He was 96.