Lloyd Espenschied was born in Baden, North St. Louis, Missouri, on April 27, 1889, the son of Frederick F. Espenschied (January 3, 1856 – July 22, 1908) and Clara M. Espenschied (January 14, 1856 – March 26, 1947). Fred was an 1875 graduate of the St. Louis Law School, which is today part of
Washington University
Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...
. He served as private secretary to his brother-in-law, Mayor Henry von Overstolz.Espenschied, Lloyd (January 5, 1962). "Louis Espenschied and His Family". ''Missouri Historical Society Bulletin'' (St. Louis, Missouri). XVIII (2): 87–103. Under Mayor David R. Francis, Fred later became
City Treasurer The municipal treasurer is a position of responsibility for a municipality according to the locally prevailing laws.
The treasurer of a public agency is elected
Espenschied moved to
Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
during his childhood. By 1904, he was already exploring
wireless telegraphy
Wireless telegraphy or radiotelegraphy is transmission of text messages by radio waves, analogous to electrical telegraphy using cables. Before about 1910, the term ''wireless telegraphy'' was also used for other experimental technologies for ...
and became an
amateur radio operator
An amateur radio operator is someone who uses equipment at an amateur radio station to engage in two-way personal communications with other amateur operators on radio frequencies assigned to the amateur radio service. Amateur radio operators ...
American Telephone and Telegraph Company
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile te ...
and later
Bell Telephone Laboratories
Nokia Bell Labs, originally named Bell Telephone Laboratories (1925–1984),
then AT&T Bell Laboratories (1984–1996)
and Bell Labs Innovations (1996–2007),
is an American industrial research and scientific development company owned by mult ...
in various capacities from 1910 to 1937. In the 17 years preceding his retirement in 1954, Espenschied was staff research consultant and consulting engineer at Bell Telephone Laboratories.
Beginning in 1916, Espenschied worked with Herman Affel and other colleagues on a
carrier system
A carrier system is a telecommunications system that transmits information, such as the voice signals of a telephone call and the video signals of television, by modulation of one or multiple carrier signals above the principal voice frequency or ...
from Baltimore to Pittsburgh. This work led to Espenschied and Affel creating the first modern coaxial cable. Their invention paved the way for television transmission. The cable advanced long distance telephone service, making it possible to carry thousands of simultaneous phone calls on long distance circuits. In 1930, he applied for a patent on a device based on a mathematical analysis used by the radio altimeter invented by William Littell Everitt at
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...
. Espenschied was the holder of more than 100 patents in both wire and radio communication systems.
Personal life and death
In April 1912, Espenschied married another Pratt student, Ethel Fairfield Lovejoy, known as "Lovey". They were married for over 60 years, and had two children.
An avid genealogist, Espenschied visited Germany for the purpose of extensive research. While abroad, he was able to ascertain the German background of his family. Returning to St. Louis in 1937–38 to trace his American family pattern, he discovered that the original Louis Espenschied wagon plant created by his grandfather was gone and that the Luedinghaus-Espenschied Wagon Company had been deserted.
Espenschied was an
isolationist
Isolationism is a political philosophy advocating a national foreign policy that opposes involvement in the political affairs, and especially the wars, of other countries. Thus, isolationism fundamentally advocates neutrality and opposes entan ...
and opposed American involvement in World War II. When interviewed during the war by a member of the
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, ...
, he stated: "We were led into this mess largely by British propaganda, Jewish propaganda, Roosevelt imperialism."
Espenschied died on June 21, 1986, at a
nursing home
A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of elderly or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as skilled nursing facility (SNF) or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms have slightly different meanings to i ...
in
Holmdel, New Jersey
Holmdel Township (usually shortened to Holmdel) is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The township is centrally located in the Raritan Valley region, being within the regional and cultural influence of the Raritan Baysh ...
, at the age of 97.Espenschied, Lloyd • 1889–1986. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 81, 1205 (1987); https://doi.org/10.1121/1.394650