Nathan Stubblefield
American inventor of early wireless telephone demonstrations.
Nathan Beverly Stubblefield (November 22, 1860 – March 28, 1928) was an American inventor who called himself a "practical farmer, fruit grower and electrician." He is most remembered for his work on a wireless telephone. In early 1902, he staged several public demonstrations of a battery-powered wireless telephone that could be moved around and used on moving things like boats. This early version worked through conduction. Later, in 1908, he got a U.S. patent for a wireless telephone system that used magnetic induction. He never managed to turn his inventions into a commercial success. He eventually withdrew from public life and died alone in 1928.
There is debate over whether Stubblefield’s technology counts as radio, and whether his 1902 demonstrations were the first "radio broadcasts." Most experts who have studied his work say they were not radio, because his devices used conduction and inductive fields, while radio is defined by the transmission of electromagnetic radiation. Still, Stubblefield may have been the first person to send audio wirelessly to multiple receivers at the same time, though only over short distances, and he predicted that broadcasting would one day happen on a national scale.
**Biography**
**Early years and family life** Stubblefield was the second of seven sons. His father, William "Captain Billy" Jefferson Stubblefield (1830–1874), was a Confederate Army veteran and lawyer. His mother, Victoria Bowman (1837–1869), died of scarlet fever. He grew up in Murray, Kentucky, and was tutored by a governess before attending a boarding school in nearby Farmington called the "Male and Female Institute." His formal schooling ended in 1874 when he was 14, after his father died, leaving him an orphan in the care of his step-mother. He kept learning on his own by reading scientific magazines like *Scientific American* and *Electrical World*.
In 1881, he married Ada Mae Buchannan. They had nine children, two of whom died as infants. Six of the surviving children had no descendants. The seventh, Oliver (RayJack), married Priscilla Alden, and they had two daughters and one son, Keith Stubblefield, who became a television and recording personality under the name Troy Cory.
Stubblefield first supported his family by farming. (His farmland later became part of Murray State University’s campus.) From 1907 to 1911, he ran a home school called "The
- born
- November 22, 1860
- died
- March 28, 1928
- field
- Inventor
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Wireless telephone work and public demonstrations in 1902
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1860-11-22
- Death Date
- 1928-03-28
- Resting Place
- Bowman Cemetery
- Occupation
- inventor
- Known For
- wireless telephony
- Spouse
- Ada Mae Stubblefield
- Children
- 8
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
After winding down his acoustic telephone business, Stubblefield researched wireless options. In 1892 a former neighbor reported hearing Stubblefield's voice through a telephone receiver at a short distance. On Christmas Eve 1901, he transmitted 1/4 mile to his home, where children heard messages from Santa Claus. On January 1, 1902, he gave a demonstration in Murray, Kentucky, simultaneously transmitting voice and music to seven stations. This attracted the attention of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In March 1902 he demonstrated his system in Washington, D.C., from a steamer on the Potomac River to shore, reported in Scientific American and Nature. He received a U.S. patent in 1908 for a wireless telephone system using magnetic induction, but was ultimately unsuccessful in commercializing his inventions. He later went into seclusion and died alone in 1928.
Reader's Guide
Nathan Stubblefield's significance lies in his early wireless telephone demonstrations, which predated widespread radio broadcasting. His 1902 public tests, including simultaneous transmission to multiple receivers, attracted national attention and were reported in major scientific journals. However, disagreement exists whether his technology qualifies as radio, because his devices used conduction and inductive fields rather than electromagnetic radiation. Most reviews conclude they were not radio transmissions. Stubblefield may have been the first to simultaneously transmit audio wirelessly to multiple receivers over short distances, and he predicted the eventual development of broadcasting on a national scale. Despite his technical achievements, he failed to commercialize his inventions and died in obscurity. His legacy is debated among historians of wireless communication.
Did You Know?
- Stubblefield's first patent, issued in 1885, was for a tool to light coal oil lamps without removing the glass chimney.
- On Christmas Eve 1901, he transmitted a message from Santa Claus to a party of children 1/4 mile away.
- His 1902 Washington, D.C. demonstration transmitted voice and music from a steamer on the Potomac River to shore.
- Stubblefield's only grandson, Keith Stubblefield, became a television and recording personality under the professional name Troy Cory.
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