William David Coolidge (1873–1975). Biography with special reference to X-ray tubes

Abstract

William Coolidge (1873–1975) is famous for the invention and development of the hot cathode X-ray tube, someti­mes called the Coolidge X-ray tube, which immediately made the previous designs of gas X-ray tube obsolete. He was born in Hudson, Massachusetts, studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and graduated with a PhD in Physics from the University of Leipzig. In 1905 he joined the General Electric Company (GEC) Research Laboratory at Schenectady and in 1913 invented the Coolidge X-ray tube which is the prototype of modern apparatus. He was consultant in X-rays to GEC for some quarter of a century, 1945–1961. As well as his work with X-rays, he developed the first successful submarine detection system, with Irving Langmuir (1881–1957), and during World War II undertook research relating to radar, the atomic bomb, rockets and anti-submarine devices. He was also, during WWII appointed to President Roosevelt’s Advisory Committee on Uranium. He obtained 83 patents during his lifetime (all assigned to GEC). Coolidge spent his entire career with GEC, from 1905 when he joined the company at Schenectady to work in lamp research, until his death when he was an Emeritus Director of Research & Development. One of the most complete lists to be published of papers by Coolidge is found in the References.