[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 99 (Thursday, June 14, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3947-S3948]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    REMEMBERING PHILO T. FARNSWORTH

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable 
Utahn whose impact has been felt by generations of Americans every day: 
the ``Father of Television,'' Mr. Philo T. Farnsworth. A true American 
inventor, Farnsworth's image has graced Statuary Hall in the U.S. 
Capitol Building since 1990 in larger-than-life fashion, as one of two 
statue contributions by Utah.
  Just a few months ago, the Utah State Legislature voted to replace 
the Farnsworth statue with that of Martha Hughes Cannon, the first 
woman State senator in Utah and the Nation. Her influence as a Mormon 
pioneer, a Utah women's rights advocate, and early female physician 
opened doors and paved

[[Page S3948]]

the way for millions to follow. In 1896, when she defeated her own 
husband to become the first female State senator elected in the United 
States, she made history for our State and for women across the 
country.
  Martha's contributions have been far-reaching in Utah, but in no way 
should the changing of the statues diminish the contributions of Philo 
T. Farnsworth as one of America's greatest innovators. I have always 
been proud to show the thousands of constituents who visit the Capitol 
each year the Farnsworth statue. This iconic sculpture has been a 
wonderful representation of the traits that our State was founded on: 
hard work, innovation, and industry.
  Farnsworth was born in 1906 in Beaver, UT, a small rural town settled 
in 1856 by Mormon pioneers traveling the road to southern Utah. His 
early pioneer roots encouraged a work ethic and can-do attitude that 
propelled his lifelong love of learning and invention. From a very 
young age, he imagined and later implemented scientific designs, 
including a machine to convert electric power in his family home and a 
tamper-proof lock, but it was in a high school chemistry class in 
Rigby, ID, that he began to sketch an idea for a vacuum tube that would 
forever change the media and entertainment landscape. Farnsworth's 
sketch was the blueprint for what would eventually become the modern-
day television.
  Farnsworth had a special knack for taking big ideas from paper to 
practice--first, as a student at Brigham Young University, then later 
as a businessman. He didn't just stop with television. In fact, his 
scientific mind made great inroads in other areas of advancement, 
including sterilizing milk using radio waves.
  In later years, Farnsworth continued research in further 
technologies, including radar, the infrared telescope, and nuclear 
fusion. In fact, in 1967, he moved back to Utah to run a fusion lab at 
Brigham Young University, which was later relocated to Salt Lake City 
operating as the Philo T. Farnsworth Association.
  Unfortunately, Farnsworth had to endure legal battles throughout his 
career regarding patent claims. He also faced great financial hardship. 
He passed away from pneumonia on March 11, 1971, in Salt Lake City, UT, 
just as having a home television set became the norm in most American 
households. Sadly, Farnsworth did not live to see the full impact of 
his revolutionary invention, but his influence lives on.
  Whether you are gathering friends to watch the latest playoff game, 
laughing at a comedy series, or keeping updated on what is happening in 
the world, your life has been touched in one way or another by Philo T. 
Farnsworth. Who would have thought that the rough sketches of a 
daydreaming schoolboy would one day change the world?
  Utah is proud of its native son, Philo T. Farnsworth. He was not only 
the ``Father of Television'' but truly one of the most brilliant minds 
and creative innovators of the 20th century. His statue will be missed 
here in the Capitol, but through his singular invention, Farnsworth's 
influence in our daily lives will be ever present.
  Farnsworth's statue has represented--and will continue to represent--
the honor and appreciation Utahns have for his monumental life 
achievements. His image has honorably served our State well for almost 
three decades, and I am hopeful it will find the right home. It has 
been a pleasure sharing the Capitol with the image of Philo T. 
Farnsworth.

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