Finding Aid for Joseph T. Tykociner Papers, 1900-69 | University of Illinois Archives

Title: Joseph T. Tykociner Papers, 1900-69

ID: 11/6/20

Primary Creator: Tykociner, Joseph T. (Joseph Tykocinski) (1877-1969)

Extent: 23.41 cubic feet

Arrangement: by type of material and chronologically thereunder

Subjects: American Institute of Electrical Engineers, American Physical Society, Antenna Design, Anti-Semitism, Cable Investigation, Corona Discharge, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Research, Faculty Papers, Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE), Inventions, Jewish Refugees, Kibbutz, Millimeter Wave Research, Motion Pictures, Music -- Israel - History and Geography, Palestine - History and Geography, Patents, Photoelectricity, Piezoelectricuty, Poland - History and Geography, Poland - Science and Technology, Polish Refugees, Radio Engineering, Siemans and Halske Company, Sound on Film, Striations, Telegraphy, Television, University Friends of Poland, Velocity Selector, World War II - Intelligence, Morale and Propaganda, World War II - Scientific Research and Development, Zetetics

Formats/Genres: Papers

Languages: English

Papers of Joseph T. Tykociner (1877-1969), professor of electrical engineering (1921-49); professor emeritus (1949-69), including awards; photographs of relatives and research experiments; newspaper clippings; autobiographical and biographical data; bibliography cards; personal and research diaries (1926-63); technical letters concerning engineering research at Illinois (1926-46); student theses; abstracts, reprints and Experiment Station Bulletins; research and family slides; charts; tape recordings on zetetics and research; lectures; sound on film demonstration (1921-32); financial records and sound on film patent cases. Research material includes sound on film (1921-22), antennae models (1922-26), cable investigations (1926-33), velocity selector (1927-36), photoelectric research (1922-25, 1935-41), ultra-high frequencies and millimeter wave research (1941-51), striations (1952-59) and zetetics (1949-69). Correspondence with relatives, colleagues, students, publishing companies and industrial firms, regarding Jews living in Europe and Palestine and immigration before and after World War II, personal matters, research information, preparation of doctoral theses, recommendations, and purchasing of supplies and publications.

The series includes a negative 35mm motion picture film of Prof. Tykociner's 1921-22 sound on film demonstration, as well as an audio recording of a 1967 interview.

Born in Poland in 1877, Tykociner was the first research professor at Department of Electrical Engineering (now the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering) at the University of Illinois, and the first to successfully incorporate sound in motion picture. Originally interested in Thomas Edison's invention of the phonograph as well as in wireless radio transmission, Tykociner came to the University in 1921 after having worked for radio communication companies in Europe and briefly in Pennsylvania. He quickly resumed his research on recording sound on film using the photoelectric cell developed by his colleague, Jakob Kunz. By March 1922 he had finally created his first "talkie", which he successfully demonstrated on the 9th of June at the request of President David Kinley and the Board of Trustees. Patent disputes with the University and skeptics extinguished his hopes of patenting and commercializing the invention. However, the talking motion picture certainly served as an exclamation point of his career, and Tykociner's research has had a considerable impact on the College of Engineering, the history of electrical engineering, and the possibilities of scientific research.

American Institute of Electrical Engineers
American Physical Society
Antenna Design
Anti-Semitism
Cable Investigation
Corona Discharge
Electrical Engineering
Engineering Research
Faculty Papers
Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE)
Inventions
Jewish Refugees
Kibbutz
Millimeter Wave Research
Motion Pictures
Music -- Israel - History and Geography
Palestine - History and Geography
Patents
Photoelectricity
Piezoelectricuty
Poland - History and Geography
Poland - Science and Technology
Polish Refugees
Radio Engineering
Siemans and Halske Company
Sound on Film
Striations
Telegraphy
Television
University Friends of Poland
Velocity Selector
World War II - Intelligence, Morale and Propaganda
World War II - Scientific Research and Development
Zetetics

Repository: University of Illinois Archives

Accruals: 5/3/65; 1/17/68; 8/69-3/70; 7/17/79

Other Note: 69 Pages

URL: https://files.archon.library.illinois.edu/uasfa/1106020.pdf

PDF finding aid for Joseph T. Tykociner Papers (11/6/20)