William Crawford Eddy (August 22, 1902 – September 15, 1989) was a Naval officer, submariner, engineer, television producer, educator, cartoonist, artist, inventor, entrepreneur, explorer and writer.
Bill Eddy was born and raised in Saratoga Springs, New York, where his father was a successful businessman and four-term mayor. He completed high school at the New York Military Academy, then received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy. With minimal hearing capability, he passed the physical examination by "reading lips," then kept this deficiency hidden throughout his years at the academy and during his initial military service.
Early career
Upon graduating from the Naval Academy in 1926, Eddy's first assignment as an ensign was on the light cruiser . He was initially sent to Nicaragua to "fight the Banana Wars," then dispatched to China to protect American interests and "show the flag" along the Yangtze River. In 1928, Eddy requested and received a transfer to the submarine service. At six-foot six, he was almost too tall for submarines, but nevertheless received an assignment on the , patrolling the Asiatic waters from the Philippines. To compensate for his hearing problem, he designed a visual display for audio tracking signals; this apparatus was widely used on submarines for many years. When Eddy learned that the Navy needed a suitable badge for the submarine service, being a talented artist he designed the "Dolphins" insignia; this was adopted and is still proudly worn by eligible personnel.
In 1930, Eddy was sent to the Naval Submarine Base New London in Connecticut. Here he qualified as a submarine commander and was promoted to lieutenant (junior grade). Remaining at New London, Eddy set up an electronics course for officers. He had his own laboratory for conducting research in underwater sound gear and signal communicating from a submerged position; his research resulted in four secret patents. When standing a physical examination for promotion to lieutenant, his hearing loss came to light, and he was forced into disability retirement at the close of 1934.
In early 1935, Eddy joined Philo T. Farnsworth, the inventor of fully electronic television, in his new research operations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While he soon made engineering contributions in developing new equipment, it was with Farnsworth's experimental television station, W3XPF, where he gained wide recognition. He essentially "wrote the book" for the emerging studio activities, setting the stage for television operations over the next years.
To assist with his hearing – by now very poor – Eddy developed a miniature electronic set driving a vibrating element that was contained within an unlit pipe. When clenched in his teeth, the pipe delivered the sounds – albeit very distorted – through his jaw to his inner ear. For the rest of his life, this pipe was ever present.
Having gained a reputation at W3XPF, Eddy was recruited by RCA, Farnsworth's main rival. In 1937, he joined RCA's experimental station W2XBS in New York City. Here, Eddy applied for 43 patents and received wide recognition for his accomplishments. Among other television studio innovations, he is credited with creating the field of sight effects – using miniatures, special sets, and innovative lighting to greatly broaden the telecast scenes.
Now one of the most recognized television authorities in America, Eddy was invited by the Balaban and Katz theater chain to initiate electronic television broadcasting in Chicago. In April 1941, he opened W9XBK as an experimental station, operating from facilities in the Chicago Loop district. Although there were only a few hundred television receivers in the area, Eddy inaugurated many technical and programming innovations, including the use of a remote unit with a high-frequency link to telecast live sports events.
Wartime activities
On December 7, 1941, when Eddy heard about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he took a night train from Chicago to Washington, D.C., intent on returning to active duty as a Navy officer. The next day, with an unlit pipe clenched in his teeth, he searched through the chaos in the Navy Department, trying to find a receptive ear. Eventually he found a senior officer in the Training Division of the Bureau of Navigation who had heard of Eddy's television accomplishments.