Background
Kompfner, Rudolf was born on May 16, 1909 in Vienna, Austria. Son of Bernhard and Paula (Grotte) Kompfner.
Kompfner, Rudolf was born on May 16, 1909 in Vienna, Austria. Son of Bernhard and Paula (Grotte) Kompfner.
Came to the United States, 1951, naturalized, 1957. Diplom-Ingenieur, Technische Hochschule, Vienna, also Honorary Doctor of Science. Doctor of Philosophy, Oxford (England) University, Honorary Doctor of Science, 1969.
He was originally trained as an architect and after receiving his university degree in 1933 he moved to England (due to the rise of anti-Semitism), where he worked as an architect until 1941. However, he had a strong interest in physics and electronics, and after being briefly detained by the British as an enemy alien at the start of World War II he was recruited to work in a secret microwave vacuum tube research program at the University of Birmingham. While there, Kompfner invented the TWT in 1943.
After the war he became a British citizen, continued working for the Admiralty as a scientist, and also studied physics at the University of Oxford, receiving his PhD in 1951. Late that year Kompfner was recruited to Bell Labs in the United States by John R. Pierce, where they together developed the TWT into an important element of the communications age. Kompfner died on December 3, 1977, in Stanford, California.
Served with Royal Naval Science Service, England, 1941-1951. Fellow I.E.E.E. (medal of honor 1973, National Medal of Science 1974), All Souls College University of Oxford. Member National Academy Sciences, National Academy Engineering, American Academy Arts and Science Inventor electron tubes for communications technical.
Married Peggy Mason, April. Children: Paul, Helen.
