Raytheon Manufacturing Company
founded 1925
The American Appliance Company was formed in 1922. Founders were Laurence K. Marshall, Charles G. Smith, and Vannevar Bush. At first interested in refrigeration technology, they changed their focus to radio engineering. They developed a gas rectifier tube for converting alternating current to direct current.
In October 1925, they formed the Raytheon Manufacturing Company, and began production of a range of tubes for battery eliminators and power supplies.
On June 1, 1929 the National Carbon Company (maker of Eveready batteries) entered into an agreement with Raytheon to be the sole distributor of Raytheon tubes and the brand name was changed to Eveready Raytheon. The prefix to tube model numbers changed to ER. The agreement lapsed about May to August 1933, and the tubes were again branded as Raytheon (with no ER prefix). The agreement between National Carbon and Raytheon formally ended in 1938.
Raytheon made a wide range of industrial and military tubes as well. It produced magnetron tubes for the US government for radar systems, supplying as much as four fifths of those required. After World War II, Raytheon turned its magnetron and microwave research towards home cooking. In 1967, it sold countertop microwave ovens under the brand name of Amana.
In 1945, Raytheon also began experimenting with guidance systems for missiles, and developed Lark missile, and later the Patriot missile and other missiles. In recent years, the company has been very oriented towards military defence projects.
The company headquarters were first located in Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, where they remained between 1922 and 1930. That year they relocated to Newton, staying until 1952, when a new site was built in Waltham. In 1961, they moved to a new campus in Lexington. In 2002, the Lexington site was sold off and they relocated to a new location in Waltham.
The company has many divisions and locations, many of which are in Massachusetts, but others as far as D.C. and Texas.
In October 1925, they formed the Raytheon Manufacturing Company, and began production of a range of tubes for battery eliminators and power supplies.
On June 1, 1929 the National Carbon Company (maker of Eveready batteries) entered into an agreement with Raytheon to be the sole distributor of Raytheon tubes and the brand name was changed to Eveready Raytheon. The prefix to tube model numbers changed to ER. The agreement lapsed about May to August 1933, and the tubes were again branded as Raytheon (with no ER prefix). The agreement between National Carbon and Raytheon formally ended in 1938.
Raytheon made a wide range of industrial and military tubes as well. It produced magnetron tubes for the US government for radar systems, supplying as much as four fifths of those required. After World War II, Raytheon turned its magnetron and microwave research towards home cooking. In 1967, it sold countertop microwave ovens under the brand name of Amana.
In 1945, Raytheon also began experimenting with guidance systems for missiles, and developed Lark missile, and later the Patriot missile and other missiles. In recent years, the company has been very oriented towards military defence projects.
The company headquarters were first located in Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, where they remained between 1922 and 1930. That year they relocated to Newton, staying until 1952, when a new site was built in Waltham. In 1961, they moved to a new campus in Lexington. In 2002, the Lexington site was sold off and they relocated to a new location in Waltham.
The company has many divisions and locations, many of which are in Massachusetts, but others as far as D.C. and Texas.
A long description of the company is found on "Raytheon Company: History," Raytheon, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raytheon (accessed 06/22/2015)
See also: "Raytheon Company History," Funding Universe, http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Raytheon-Company-Company-History.html (accessed 06/22/2015)
For a history of Raytheon's role in the development of Radar, see: "IN SYNC with the UNIVERSE: Raytheon's Journey into the World of Radar", in Technology Today (Raytheon's magazine), Vol. 1, Issue 3, (Summer 2002), pp10-13. Available online via Internet Archive Wayback machine, http://web.archive.org/web/20120904222256/http://www.raytheon.com/technology_today/archive/2002_Issue3.pdf(accessed 06/22/2015)