David Sarnoff is synonymous with RCA, which he led from the 1920s through the 1960s, a time of pioneering discoveries in broadcast communications that continue to transform life today. Although not a scientist or an inventor, Mr. Sarnoff was an executive and technological visionary, who “believed in the potential for social improvement through technological progress.”
A new permanent exhibit brings the artifacts of the former David Sarnoff Library to life at the College of New Jersey. The exhibit gives students and visitors the opportunity to compare series of equipment such as vacuum tubes, phonographs, radios and televisions and trace their evolution through varying lenses of science, engineering, business, technology, communications, and entertainment. The collection also extends far beyond radio and television and includes the first commercial electron microscope, magnetic core memory arrays, transistors, and liquid crystal displays. The challenge of designing the exhibit was to capture and convey the creativity and persistence accompanying these discoveries to ignite the imaginations of all who visit.