Faculty of the Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Science

The 1925 MacMillan Arctic Expedition was the first major geographic expedition to utilize aircraft and shortwave radio.  Experiments conducted during the expedition had very significant impact on the development of long distance communication and the use of aircraft in harsh environments.  Professor Bryant and Dr. Cones' research took them to the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, the National Archives, the archives of the National Geographic Society and the private papers of Eugene F. McDonald and second-in-command of the Naval Arctic Unit, Lt. M.A. "Billie" Schur.

The Mariner's Museum and Mariner's Museum Park was developed in the early 1930's by one of the wealthiest men in the world to house "the finest collection of maritime books in the world."  The beautifully landscaped 928 acre park surrounding the museum was highlighted by a 128 acre lake and served as a wildlife refuge for many years.  Working with original files and documents, Dr. Cones retraces the development of the park from 1929-1935, with particular emphasis on the natural history of the property.

This book documents much new information about the early history of broadcasting and the formation of the American electronics industry.  Utilizing the re-discovered files of Zenith founder, Eugene F. McDonald, Jr. as well as the National Archives and libraries on both coasts, Dr. Cones and Professor Bryant were able to shed much new light on the formation of the broadcasting industry, the National Association of Broadcasters, the Federal Communications Commission and the course of the Zenith Radio Corporation as it grew from a small specialized electronics manufacturer to an international giant, rivaling RCA and British Marconi for world-wide leadership in electronics.

The original historical research and documentation was recently recognized by the Antique Wireless Association with the prestigious Houck Award for radio documentation for publications which advance the history of radio.

This book documents the historical and technological development of the Zenith Trans-Oceanic, the single most popular and romantic line of radios produced by the American electronics industry.

Zenith Radio, The Glory Years, 1936-1945, History and Color Portraits, is the second in Cones and Bryant’s Zenith Radio Corporate History Series. The first book, Zenith Radio, The Early Years, 1919-1935, chronicled the rise of a small regional radio manufacturer to national prominence and survival of the Depression. The Glory Years carries the company through a period of trend setting product development and highlights Zenith’s contribution to the war effort. Profusely illustrated, The Glory Years contains 366 illustrations, many never before published, and many in color, featuring 180 color portraits of pristine Zenith radios and products.  Continuing the detail to documentation established in The Early Years (which was the recipient of the prestigious Houch Award for Radio Documentation from the Antique Wireless Association), the text is extensively documented from contemporary written accounts, interviews with past employees, and material from the recently discovered McDonald Files. Writing style will appeal equally to hobbyists, historians and radio scholars.

Significant highlights include major photographic documentation of the radio production facilities at the 6001 West Dickens Avenue plant, 14 photographs of period movie stars with Zenith Radios, and first-time published accounts of Zenith’s role in the development of Frequency Modulation and television.

Table of Contents: Zenith Radio, The Glory Years 1936-1941

Section 1:

Chapter 1: The Zenith Family
Chapter 2: Sales and Promotions
Chapter 3: The Largest Radio Manufactory in the World
Chapter 4: Design and Styling During the Glory Years
Chapter 5: Engineering Design During the Glory Years
Chapter 6: Frequency Modulation
Chapter 7: Zenith’s Role in the Development of Television
Chapter 8: Zenith Auto Radios
Chapter 9: Development of Zenith Hearing Aids
Chapter10: Zenith and the American Farmer
Chapter 11: The War Years

Section ll:

Color Portraits of Zenith Products
Appendix 1: McDonald’s Speeches to Employees
Appendix 2: McDonald’s Experiments in the Paranormal
Appendix 3: Hay, Was That a Zenith I Just Saw? Movies (and TV Shows) Using Zenith Radios
Appendix 4: Year-end Stockholder Reports

Zenith Radio, The Glory Years, 1936-1945, Illustrated Catalog, Annual Notes and Database, is the most complete compendium ever produced of specific information dealing with Zenith radio models between 1936 and 1945. The book is divided into three major sections, The Illustrated Catalog, the Database, and Annual Notes.

The Illustrated Catalog is, by far, the most complete collection of images of Zenith products ever assembled and is a nearly complete visual record of products manufactured during the time period covered by this book.

The Database, which follows the Illustrated Catalog, is a complete listing of Zenith products produced between 1936 and 1945. A wealth of almost impossible to obtain model information is presented in easy to read tabular form, making information retrieval easy for historians, hobbyists, and radio scholars. Included are such unique features as cabinet design similarities and a rarity and value guide.  Discussions of Zenith product indentification methods and serial number data are also found in the Database section.

Featured are multiple-page tables:

Zenith Model vs. Year Cross-Reference Index
Zenith Radio Chassis Distribution Index
Zenith Radio Totals Produced by Chassis Type 1936-1942
Zenith 1936-1942 Serial Numbers vs. Chassis Runs List
Index and Rarity/Value Guide
Zenith Service Manual/Rider Manual Cross-Reference Table, 1936-1942
Zenith Product Identification Methods, describing in depth three different key product numbering systems: models, chassis types, and serial numbers
A complete listing of Zenith products, containing year and model, style, chassis number, circuit type, number of tubes, power requirements, coverage, source of service information, original price, and comments
Zenith Automatic Record Changer Data, 1938-1942

The Annual Notes section highlights a variety of information pertinent to each year but not covered in the tables.  Such items as restoration notes, factory variants, dials, cabinet finishes, and knobs are examples of topics discussed in the Annual Notes section.

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