Biography of David Sarnoff the Man Behind Broadcasting

The Life of David Sarnoff

David Sarnoff is known for many things. He may not be an engineer, a scientist, or an inventor, but he is someone whose legacy lives on.

Starting as a Russian immigrant and working at a telegraph business, his career did not have that, wow, element backing it and only flourished later.

Sarnoff brought a lot of novelty into our lives, but not necessarily through inventions.

Instead, he did it through predictions, hard work, and innovation.

In this article, we will learn how David Sarnoff changed the entertainment industry forever and how communication would not be the same without him.

Early Life

Born in Russia on February 27, 1891, Sarnoff grew up in a Jewish community outside of Minsk. His parents were Abraham and Lena Sarnoff, David being their eldest of five children.

After his father departed to the United States, his mother sent Sarnoff to his rabbi uncle to study the Talmud. Her wish was that her eldest son would someday become a scholar.

Sarnoff did so for the next five years, studying the Talmud for about 15 hours daily. Then, in 1900, he and his family eventually immigrated to the United States, joining his father in search of the American Dream.

Two days after Sarnoff arrived in the U.S., he began selling newspapers to people passing on the streets. Eventually, he would open his newspaper stand, making his job easier and slightly more profitable.

That said, his income from the newspaper stand was insufficient to support him. This is why he supplemented it by singing soprano at a synagogue choir.

During this time, Sarnoff would also study hard, using a part of his income to buy a telegraph machine, hoping to use it to get a job as an operator.

“Competition brings out the best in products and the worst in people.” ~ David Sarnoff

His ambitions were successful, as the Marconi Wireless Telegraph company eventually gave him an operator job. With access to their technical library, Sarnoff would now dive deeper into his studies about telecommunications.

Later, Sarnoff moved on to different positions. It was only on April 14, 1912, that he became famous.

That day, Sarnoff was alone when he received a message about the sinking Titanic after running into an iceberg.

Sarnoff would remain at his telegraph machine for 72 hours, sending survivor names.

As a result, he was rewarded by Marconi Wireless Company, where he was made an instructor and inspector.

Career at RCA

Sarnoff joined the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) in 1919, where he would further his work and knowledge.

One of his ideas was to transmit voices and music over the airwaves.

He borrowed a Navy transmitter to demonstrate this concept in 1921, relaying the Carpentier-Dempsey World Championship battle.

This caught the attention of RCA, who invested an average of $2,000 for this event. As a result, Sarnoff was made vice president of RCA.

In the next three years, sales increased, and so did popularity, which led to Sarnoff being appointed RCA president in 1930.

Afterward, in the 1930s, Sarnoff created many cultural programs, including the NBC Orchestra. The program was under the lead of Arturo Toscanini, known as one of the 20th century’s highest-regarding orchestra conductors.

He furthered the company’s investments, researching the concept of broadcasting images. His implementation was a success, and in 1939, the company also broadcasted images.

“Nobody can be successful if he doesn’t love his work, love his job.” ~ David Sarnoff

Military Service

While his image broadcasting implementation succeeded, Sarnoff could not expand it, as WWI and WWII made things difficult.

In 1944, Sarnoff became part of General Dwight Eisenhower’s staff, responsible for creating a broadcasting station that could reach all of Eisenhower’s forces.

With Sarnoff’s involvement, military communications became more effective, and many weaponry improvements saw great innovations during the war. For example, RCA created ship-borne and airborne missiles, all guided through TV.

The company would also involve itself with electronic navigation systems, which would help turn the tides in the war.

After the First World War, Sarnoff’s company restored communications in France. Soon after, World War II started, during which he was appointed brigadier general.

He would continue developing military communications and direct D-day press communications, which would help the war finalize with a better outcome. He would use the same knowledge to fight in the Cold War.

“Man is still the greatest miracle and the greatest problem on this earth.” ~ David Sarnoff

Philanthropy

David Sarnoff was the epitome of the phrase “from rags to riches,” meaning he knew what it meant to grow up with limited resources.

But, knowing how difficult it was for him to obtain knowledge in his youth, he would improve the arts and education for the younger generations.

He created the David Sarnoff Library and Foundation, which would eventually comprise over 6,000 artifacts and documents of the 20th century’s electronic and communication developments.

This way, people would have easier access to information than he had in his youth.

Personal Life

In 1917, on the 4th of July, Davis Sarnoff married Lizette Hermant. She was the daughter of a Jewish-French family who immigrated to the Bronx, becoming Sarnoff’s family neighbors.

Even though there were some indiscretions during the marriage on Sarnoff’s part, the marriage was a success, lasting for 54 years and acting as his bedrock. His wife was usually the first to hear his ideas before he implemented them at RCA.

The couple eventually had three sons: Robert, Thomas, and Edward. His eldest was Robert, which would groom him to become the president of RCA once Sarnoff retired. He would eventually do so in 1970.

“The difference between our decadence and the Russians is that while theirs is brutal, ours is apathetic. ” ~ David Sarnoff

Legacy

Sarnoff greatly impacted the entertainment and communication industry, his legacy shaping our future even today. During the Second World War, his company created the New Jersey Unified Research Center at Princeton.

The center was eventually renamed in 1951, in honor of Sarnoff, who, even after the war, preferred to be referred to as “General” when working at RCA.

Sarnoff also ran into numerous obstacles. In 1954, RCA began creating color TVs, but no one would buy them.

It was controversial, and Sarnoff received a lot of criticism from the media and government. However, he firmly believed this would be a success, which is why he continued producing color TVs for the next five years.

This meant that each year, he would lose money. But in 1960, the tables turned, and Sarnoff began making some profit. In the next decade, more and more people were interested in buying color TVs.

So while his competition was trying to jump on the bandwagon, Sarnoff was already making massive amounts of money.

Conclusion

David Sarnoff started as your street newspaper boy and became one of the richest men and CEOs. His contributions to the world of communication were essential.

While his path had its rocky areas, he eventually made a great name for himself. For this reason, upon his passing, he left behind a legacy of ambition and technological triumph that would inspire many.

“We cannot banish dangers, but we can banish fears. We must not demean life by standing in awe of death.” ~ David Sarnoff

David Sarnoff Timeline

1891:

David Sarnoff Is Born in Uzlian, Russia (a Shtetl Southeast of Minsk).

1900:

Sarnoff Arrives in New York City With His Mother and Two Brothers

1906:

Sarnoff Starts Working for Commercial Cable Telegraph Company and Later That Year Works for Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America as an Office Boy.

1912:

David Is Promoted to Marconi’s Radio Station Inspector and Instructor.

1915:

Sarnoff Is Promoted to Assistant Traffic Manager; He Makes the First Proposal Regarding Broadcast Radio.

1917:

Promoted to the Position of Commercial Manager. Lizette Hermant Marries Him on July 4.

1919:

General Electric Company (GE) Acquired Marconi’s American Assets and Incorporates Them As Radio Corporation of America (RCA). The Commercial Manager Position Remains With David Sarnoff.

1920:

Sarnoff Incorporates Broadcasting Into a Memo to GE’s Superiors on RCA’s Current and Prospective Business.

1921:

David’s Son, Edward Sarnoff, Is Born

1927:

Thomas W. Sarnoff, David’s Son, Is Born

1949:

RCA Promotes Sarnoff to the Chairman of the Board.

1951:

Princeton, New Jersey, Facility of RCA Laboratories Renamed As David Sarnoff Research Center.

1967:

Princeton Dedicated the David Sarnoff Library.

1968:

Due to an Attack of Shingles, David Sarnoff Undergoes the First of Three Mastoid Operations To Stop the Infection From Spreading.

1969:

RCA’s Board of Directors Elects Sarnoff As Honorary Chairman.

1971:

December 12, at Home, Sarnoff Dies of Cardiac Arrest; Buried in Kensico Cemetery, Valhalla, New York

A Lesson From the Life of David Sarnoff

The lesson from David Sarnoff is dealing with calculated risks.

Sarnoff estimated the general public’s interest in Dempsey and Carpentier’s upcoming heavyweight title match. As a result, Sarnoff made arrangements with RCA to have the fight broadcast live.

Thousands of people listened to the event, and the audience experienced for the first time what a radio program really had the potential to be. David Sarnoff emerged as a true visionary, he took a calculated risk, and it paid off big time!

Of course, there is always risk in business, and you should never risk anything blindly; however, calculated risks can be taken while understanding the consequences if the project doesn’t go according to plan.

List all the problems that can go wrong and the cost of each. Naturally, you may not be able to foresee every issue, but it’s better than not thinking about it at all.

You’ll also want to weigh the pros and cons when taking a calculated risk.

When you have time to decide, take it and sleep on it if possible. This gives your mind the to process information in the background.

The pros must outweigh the cons, and the risk needs to be understood to move forward.

When you understand what could happen, you have an idea of the potential outcomes and can make better decisions.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The information in this post answers many of the questions about David Sarnoff. In addition, this section provides a summary and any further information.

What Is David Sarnoff Known For?

The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) was led by David Sarnoff for most of the company’s history.

When Was David Sarnoff Born?

His birthplace was Uzlian, now Uzlyany, Belarus, where he was born on February 27, 1891.

Where Did David Sarnoff Grow Up?

Sarnoff was born into appalling poverty in a Jewish settlement near Minsk, Russia. His family immigrated to New York in 1900.

What Was David Sarnoff’s Role in Radio and Television Development?

During the 1910s and 1920s, he supported, financed, and supervised the development of radio, followed by television in the 1930s and 1950s. Broadcast radio was first proposed by Sarnoff in 1915.

How Did David Sarnoff Become Involved in the Broadcasting Industry?

In his first big break, Sarnoff broadcasted a boxing match between Dempsey and Carpentier, demonstrating radio’s market potential.

How Did David Sarnoff Contribute to the Establishment of NBC?

Sarnoff predicted network radio broadcasting in 1926, founded the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) in 1927 and then led NBC through the development of RCA’s electronic and color television broadcasting systems over the next 35 years.

How Did David Sarnoff Change the World?

The FCC adopted RCA’s system as the standard for color television in 1953 after Sarnoff launched a crash program to develop a compatible system.

What is Sarnoff’s Net Worth?

Sarnoff left behind an estate valued at over 1 million, equivalent to over seven and a half million today.

Why Was the Radio So Revolutionary?

In the second and third decades of the twentieth century, radio was the primary source of information and entertainment for millions of people.

8 Facts About David Sarnoff

1. Newspaper Sales Were Sarnoff’s First Job in America as a Young Boy.
2. Sarnoff Was at the Telegraph Post When the Titanic Sent a Distress Call That It Was Sinking.
3. Sarnoff’s Next Big Idea Was To Turn the Radio, Mainly Used for Shipping, Into a Household Appliance.
4. Sarnoff Served As Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Communications Consultant.
5. Sarnoff Fought for Patents Despite His Unapologetic Approach to Moving Forward and Eliminating His Competitors.
6. NBC Was Founded in 1926 Due to a Deal Negotiated by David Sarnoff.
7. RCA’s Third President, David Sarnoff, Was Tasked With Guiding the Company Through the Great Depression.
8. Frequently Asked Questions About David Sarnoff

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