- Great American Business Leaders of the Twentieth Century
Paul V. Galvin
Motorola
1928 - 1956
Computers & Electronics
| Military Service | Army |
|---|
b. 1895
| Personal | |
|---|---|
| Born-Died | 1895 - 1959 |
| Birthplace | Illinois (IL) |
| Race | White |
| Father | Owner, Small Business |
Creating the Motorola car radio, Galvin emerged as the premier producer of car radios in the 1930s. Galvin also invented the walkie-talkie, producing some 40,000 during World War II. In 1947, Galvin introduced the first practical television set under $200, helping increase the company’s sales to $47 million. Wishing to overcome his firm’s dependence on vacuum tubes, Galvin developed transistors to be used in car stereos. Building on this new technological advancement, Motorola entered the semiconductor field.