Laurens Hammond facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Laurens Hammond
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Hammond with his 3D glasses
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| Born | January 11, 1895 |
| Died | July 1, 1973 (aged 78) |
| Education | Cornell University |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Spouse(s) | Roxana Scoville |
| Parent(s) | William Andrew and Idea Louise Strong Hammond |
| Engineering career | |
| Discipline | Mechanical engineering |
| Projects | Hammond organ, Hammond clock |
| Awards | John Price Wetherill Medal |
Laurens Hammond (born January 11, 1895 – died July 1, 1973) was a clever American engineer and inventor. He created many cool things, like the famous Hammond organ, the Hammond clock, and the Novachord, which was the world's first musical synthesizer that could play many notes at once!
Early Life and Education
A Young Inventor
Laurens Hammond was born in Evanston, Illinois, on January 11, 1895. Even when he was young, Laurens was really good at understanding how things worked. His mother, Idea Louise Strong Hammond, was an artist. After his father passed away, his mother moved the family to France.
They spent about eleven years living in France and Germany. This time in Europe helped Laurens learn a lot.
Returning Home
When Laurens was 14, in 1909, his family moved back to Evanston. He could speak French and German very well. While he was in Europe, he had already thought of a way to make cars change gears automatically. He showed his ideas to engineers at the French car company Renault, but they didn't use his design.
His very first invention that got a patent was in 1912. It was a special barometer that could be sold for just one dollar.
University and War Service
Laurens Hammond studied mechanical engineering at Cornell University. He was a member of a group called Delta Upsilon. He finished college with high honors in 1916.
When the United States joined World War I, Hammond became a soldier. He served in France with the 16th Regiment Engineers. He worked his way up to become a captain.
Amazing Inventions
The Silent Clock
After the war, Hammond moved to Detroit. He became the chief engineer for the Gray Motor Company, which made engines for boats. In 1919, he invented a quiet clock that ran on springs. This invention made him enough money to start his own business in New York City.
Seeing in 3D
In 1922, Hammond invented a system called Teleview. This system used special glasses to watch 3-D movies. Only one movie was made for this system, called The Man from M.A.R.S..
He showed this movie in New York in December 1922, and people really liked it. However, it was too expensive to put the special machines in movie theaters. So, the system was not used again. A regular 2-D version of the movie, renamed Radio-Mania, was still shown.
The Hammond Clock Company
Hammond's work on synchronous motors led him to start the Hammond Clock Company in 1928. He began with just six workers in Chicago. Many people wanted his clocks, and his business quickly grew into a big factory.
He also invented other interesting things, like an electric bridge table. This table had a special machine underneath that could shuffle and deal cards to four players.
The Famous Hammond Organ
In 1933, Hammond bought an old piano. He took it apart and only kept the keyboard. He used this keyboard to try out different ways to make sounds. He finally found a way using something called a tonewheel generator.
He asked a church organist, W. L. Lahey, to listen to his new instrument's sound. Because Hammond had a lot of experience in making things, the tonewheel generator was built very well. The "Hammond Organ" started being made in 1935. Even today, these organs are still used, which shows how good his design was!
Hammond applied for a patent for his organ on January 19, 1934. At that time, many people were out of work because of the Great Depression. The Patent Office quickly approved his invention, hoping it would create new jobs.
In 1940, Hammond received the John Price Wetherill Medal from the Franklin Institute for inventing the Hammond electric organ.
Later Years
Hammond stopped being the president of his company in 1955. He fully retired from the company in 1960, when he was 65 years old. During his life, he held 91 patents for his many inventions.
He was married to Roxana Scoville and had one daughter. Laurens Hammond passed away in Cornwall, Connecticut, on July 1, 1973, at the age of 78.
In 2017, the Laurens Hammond Museum was opened in Kielce, Poland. It is part of the Museum of Toys and Play.
See also
In Spanish: Laurens Hammond para niños
