Allen B. DuMont
The inventor and entrepreneur who built the first practical American television set and launched a pioneering broadcast network.
1901–1965 (age 64)·American electronics engineer and inventor·Birthday: January 29·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Allen B. DuMont was the maverick who beat the radio giants to the living room. An engineer and scientist born in 1901, he made a crucial improvement to the cathode-ray tube in 1931, creating a more durable and practical component for television displays. While RCA, the radio behemoth, delayed, DuMont moved with entrepreneurial speed. In 1938, his company sold the Model 180, the first commercially available, all-electronic television receiver in the United States. After World War II, he didn't just sell sets; he created content to watch on them. In 1946, he launched the DuMont Television Network, the first licensed network, linking his New York station to others. It was an innovative and creative force, pioneering genres like the late-night talk show with 'Broadway Open House' and the first TV soap opera. Though eventually outspent and outmaneuvered by the bigger radio networks, DuMont's technical and programming inventions laid the foundational blueprint for the television age.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Allen was born in 1901, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Allen Was Born
The biggest hits of 1901
Allen's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1901Born
Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1906Started school
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1914Became a teenager
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1917Could drive
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1919Could vote
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1922Turned 21
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1931Turned 30
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1941Turned 40
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1951Turned 50
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1961Turned 60
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1965Died at 64
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
Key Achievements
- Manufactured and sold the first commercially practical, all-electronic television set to the public in 1938, the DuMont Model 180.
- Founded the DuMont Television Network in 1946, the first licensed television network in the United States.
- Made a critical improvement to the cathode-ray tube in 1931, extending its life and making commercial TV feasible.
- His network pioneered early television programming, including the first network late-night variety show.
Did You Know?
The call letters of his flagship New York TV station, WABD (later WNEW and now Fox's WNYW), stood for 'Allen B. DuMont'.
He held over 30 patents for electronic inventions.
The DuMont Network was the first to broadcast a boxing match from Madison Square Garden.
Despite its innovation, the network ceased operations in 1956, and many of its early programs are lost because kinescope recording was expensive and rare.
“I built my first television set in my garage to prove it could work.”
