Arthur A. Collins

Lore & Background

Arthur Collins was born in Kingfisher, Oklahoma, to Merle H. Collins and Faith Andrews Collins. The family moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, when Arthur was seven. He became a licensed amateur radio operator at age 14, designing and building his own equipment. With fellow ham John Reinartz, Collins discovered that 'skip' propagation occurred in the 20-meter range during daytime, enabling long-distance communication. This discovery led to his role as the critical communication link for the 1925 MacMillan Expedition, gaining national recognition.

Collins founded Collins Radio Co. in 1933, initially building high-quality amateur and commercial transmitters. His equipment was selected for the Byrd Expedition to the Antarctic (1933–1934). In the late 1930s, he visited John V. Atanasoff at Iowa State College, though no records exist of their discussions. During World War II, Collins Radio became a key supplier of communication equipment, expanding from about 350 to 3,700 employees. Collins co-designed the Autotune device, which allowed pilots to remotely switch to preset frequencies, and the ART-13 100-watt HF military radio, of which over 90,000 were built.

After the war, Collins led development of the horizontal situation indicator (HSI) and other integrated flight instruments. In the 1950s, his research group developed KINEPLEX, a long-distance telecommunication system offering up to 40 channels in the same bandwidth as one conventional voice channel, and the world's first practical, mass-produced MODEM. Collins was among the first to predict the computer and telecommunication revolution, establishing a data and message switching facility in Cedar Rapids using Collins C8400 computers. After leaving Collins Radio in 1972, he formed Arthur A. Collins Inc. in Dallas, focusing on digital switch design and computer networks, developing an internal email system called 'Command I' in 1981.

Reader's Guide

Collins's significance lies in his early demonstration that shortwave radio could reliably communicate over long distances, challenging the prevailing belief that only longer wavelengths could refract through the atmosphere. This discovery, made with John Reinartz, proved critical for the 1925 MacMillan Expedition and established Collins's reputation. His founding of Collins Radio Co. in 1933 created a company that became a Fortune 500 leader in avionics and telecommunications, supplying equipment for World War II aircraft, including the ART-13 radio used in B-29s and other bombers.

Collins's work on the Autotune device and the KINEPLEX system, which included the first mass-produced MODEM, demonstrated his ability to integrate mechanical and electronic innovation. His prediction of the convergence of computers and communications led to early data switching systems using Collins C8400 computers. After leaving his company, he continued research into digital telephone switches and computer networks, developing an internal email system. His career illustrates the transition from analog radio to digital communication systems, and his company's equipment was used in historic events such as the Corregidor station's communication after Pearl Harbor and the USS Missouri during the surrender ceremonies in Tokyo Bay.

Did You Know?

• Arthur Collins became a licensed amateur radio operator at age 14 and designed and built his own equipment.
• Collins Radio's ART-13 100-watt HF military radio was used in B-24, B-25, B-29, and TBF aircraft, with over 90,000 units built.
• Collins's company developed the world's first practical, mass-produced MODEM as part of the KINEPLEX system.