VILLAGERPROFILE DREAM VILLAGER

Marty Cooper still active in telecommunications has adopted what he calls his “Del Mar Uniform” -- shorts and sandals. Cell Phones Have Come a Long Way Del Mar’s Marty Cooper Invented Cell Phone in 1973

by Mary G. Marschner contributions include innovations in improving the car phone while Marty’s and several times a year would drive

the automation of managing paging as team was convinced that a different down to Ensenada and, often stopping urrently, the earth has 7 billion well as mobile telephone and cellular kind of telephone was the future—a in San Diego. Her parents eventually humans and well over 5 billion businesses in the fledgling wireless personal telephone that could go with bought a place in Del Mar that would cell phones. Teenagers certainly industries. Later she founded SOS you as you went through your day later attract Marty and Arlene to put Ccouldn’t imagine life without cell Wireless, a cellular service for emer- from home to office and back again. down roots in Del Mar where they phones, but it wasn’t that long ago that gencies, and most recently launched The choice of the personal tele- bought a house on the beach in 1980. cell phones had not been invented and the Jitterbug phone in 2006 in partner- phone seems obvious now but, at the Marty is now 82 years old but looks the idea of the cell phone was in the ship with Samsung. Past inductees in time, the idea was a “wild and crazy younger and acts much younger. He realm of science fiction. the Hall of Fame include Irwin Jacobs, idea” that flew in the face of the largest credits his amazing level of energy to One man instrumental in the cofounder of San Diego’s Qualcomm telephone company’s research and his mother. He offers the advice “that development of the cell phone is Del Company. vision. the secret of successful aging is to have Mar resident Martin Cooper, known good genes and to show a lot of respect as the “Father of the Cell Phone.” He is The Roots to Success for the genes.” Vail, Colorado is a fa- a nationally known inventor/entrepre- The earth has 7 Marty was born in Chicago, the son vorite getaway spot where he is known neur, holding a number of patents and billion humans and of Ukrainian immigrants who taught to ski the slopes, with Arlene trying to receiving many prestigious awards for him the importance of education and keep up with him even though Arlene his work. He is a sought-after speaker well over 5 billion reading. After completing a degree is nearly 20 years younger. and consultant and has received local cell phones. in engineering, he spent 3½ years in and national press coverage including the Navy, which included working as Cell Phones Are Here to Stay a CBS 60 Minutes segment last year. v a submarine officer. After that, Marty Though younger people can’t imag- started his career in the telecommuni- ine life without a cell phone, the older Wife is Heavyweight in a “Wild & Crazy” Idea cations industry, first with Teletype, a folks among us remember life without Man’s World In 1973, Marty along with his team subsidiary of the Bell system, but then the cell phone and often complain— Marty is only one-half of a “power at Motorola, demonstrated the first spent 29 years at Motorola, eventually confusing buttons and menus, the couple,” having been married to Arlene hand-held cell phone on the streets holding the position of vice president dropped calls, bad reception, and even Harris for 32 years. of New York City. The invention was and director of research and develop- resentment about the intrusion of the Arlene is a major player in the Marty’s big idea; some thought he ment. After leaving Motorola, he and cell phone into our lives. wireless business in her own right. was tilting at windmills. Prior to the Arlene have been “serial entrepre- However, in my interview with Arlene has founded a number of wire- cell phone, radio car phones allowed neurs” starting and selling several Marty, he looked at me with a some- less companies and also holds several the caller to be connected by radio companies. what bemused but confident look and patents. She became the first woman transmission to a telephone operator Arlene has deep roots in Southern asked, “Would you give it up?” With ever inducted into the RCR Wireless who would then connect you. AT&T’s California. Her family owned a radio barely a pause, I had to answer that, News Hall of Fame in 2007. Arlene’s researchers were concentrating on telephone company in Los Angeles “No, I would never give it up!”

16 DREAM VILLAGER v MAY 2011 The Evolution of the Cell Phone

LEFT: The wireless power couple with their inventions. Marty’s first cell phone was invented in 1973 while Arlene’s Jitterbug phone was launched in 2006.

RIGHT: Marty’s first cell phone weighed in at 2 ½ pounds. Now new cell phones can weight as little as 3.5 ounces. COURTESY A Visit With the Inventor of the Cell Phone your desk to be near convenience for some people but that, DV: What kind of cell phone do you a phone. People are in itself, is not revolutionary. Revolu- have now? more active now, and tions result in important changes in MC: I always have the latest cell more productive. The the lives of people and in their be- phone and often use more than one. concept of distance havior. The freedom that results from I had an iPhone for a while (I gave it has disappeared from being able to communicate wherever to my grandson), then moved to the communications. But you are is revolutionary and even Motorola Droid and DroidX, both of the biggest difference today voice is still the “killer app” on which were excellent phones. I am is that a telephone cell phones, with texting being second. now evaluating the HTC Thunderbolt, number used to reach a DV: You lived most of your life in the first fourth-generation phone. place—now, when you Chicago. Why did you move to Del And, of course, I use the Jitterbug, call a cell phone, you Mar? which is still the easiest to use. entury Fox. © 1987 T wentieth C entury Screen capture. expect the person you MC: San Diego is an ideal place DV: Did you always want to called to answer. for someone like me. I don’t have to Wall Street high roller Gordon Gekko, played by Michael invent? DV MC Douglas in the 1987 movie, Wall Street, holds his very : Do you mention the weather or the cultural : I have invented things as long expensive status symbol, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000 think being able to activities; your readers know they as I can remember. When I was eight cell phone. communicate so freely are superb. But San Diego is now the years old, I conceived of a train that and easily is always a wireless center of the world. Every traveled in a vacuum, magnetically Dream Villager: There are well good thing? major wireless company is represented levitated over the roadway to elimi- over five billion cellular telephones in MC: Advancements in technology here and there are many hundreds of nate all friction. the world today. Most people would always have unintended consequences start-ups as well. Of course, the real Magnetic propulsion is just now say they can’t live without their cell and these are often negative. It can reason I live here is that my wife made becoming practical. But thinking of an phone. Did you ever imagine that be annoying to be so reachable all that decision, which demonstrates her idea is not “inventing.” would happen in your lifetime? the time, but I remind you that every superior intelligence. You have to know how to make the Martin Cooper: We knew, even in cell phone has an on/off switch. You DV: I understand that your wife is idea work and how to build it to call it 1973, that someday everybody would make the choice; no one forces you also an inventor and entrepreneur. an invention. That’s why education is have their own personal telephone. to answer a cellular telephone call. MC: Arlene is brilliant, creative, so important. We believed that the wired telephone People should not become slaves to and energetic. She founded the DV: Have you invented anything was an aberration, that it was un- any technology, but I think we will GreatCall company, which offers the besides the cell phone? natural to require a person to be wired adapt, in time, and learn how to let Jitterbug phone and service that are MC: I have been granted ten other to the wall or to their desk when they designed for people who appreciate patents besides the cellular phone. wanted to call someone. And we, and “I try to help simplicity. She created every detail of They are all in the wireless field, others, had created the technology students develop a that extraordinarily complex business although one has to do with using fuel that could make this practical. On and she continues to invent and to cells to operate a cellular phone. I have the other hand, even 10 years after passion for science start new important businesses. conceived lots of other devices but my public demonstration of the cell and technology.” never bothered to patent them. phone, the first commercial portable DV: You are 82 years old. Isn’t it cellular telephones cost $4,000. We v time to retire? could never have predicted that in MC: My idea of the ideal life is one only 20 years phones would be free the cell phone make our lives easier where I can wake up in the morning to anyone who agreed to pay their without being addicted. and do exactly what I want to do; no monthly bill. That first telephone DV: There’s no question that the more – no less. I am very grateful for weighed 2 ½pounds (40 ounces) and personal phone was revolutionary. the fact that I can do that and still all it did was dial, talk, and listen. The What do you think about how it has contribute. I serve on a committee battery lasted only 20 minutes per become a universal device? that advises the Secretary of Com- charge, but that wasn’t a problem since MC: TheSmart Phone, with its abil- merce on telecommunications policy, no one could hold that heavy phone to ity to text, email, take pictures, play I serve on several boards of directors, their ear longer than that. music, browse the Web, play games and I speak a lot to corporate groups DV: Why have we become so ad- and more, is a wonderful technical and to students. The cell phone is a dicted to the cell phone? achievement but it is hardly revolu- common subject for science projects. I MC: Freedom! People need the tionary. Each of these functions can be try to help students develop a passion freedom to be where they want to be performed by a separate dedicated de- for science and technology as an ex- vice that will almost always do a better and still be in touch. In the old days, With more than 5 billion cell phones in tension of their interest in cell phones. if you wanted to be reached, you were job than a smart phone. Having them the world today, younger people can’t And, of course, I work alongside trapped in your home or chained to combined into one device is a great imagine life without a cell. Arlene in her ventures.

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