William Henry (William) Offenhauser, Jr.^{[1, 2]}

1904 - 1995  (90 years)

• Name	William Henry (William) Offenhauser
  Suffix	Jr.
  Birth	08 May 1904	Brookyln, Kings County, New York USA
  	DOB given as 8 May 1904 by web genealogy source
  Gender	Male
  Death	09 Mar 1995	Norwalk, Fairfield, Connecticut USA
  	DOD given by web genealogy source. 10 Mar 1995, according to gravestone
  Burial	13 Mar 1995	Lakeview Cemetery, New Canaan, Fairfield County, Connecticut USA
  	Section N, Lot 27
  Notes	According to the Hagley Museum and Library, which retains the papers of William H. Offenhauser, Jr.: William Henry Offenhauser, Jr. was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1904. He earned degrees at Columbia College and the Engineering School of Columbia University, and began working at RCA Photophone as an electrical engineer shortly after graduation. Offenhauser’s work focused on developing and improving the transmission of sound to film via light – a technology vital to producing sound motion pictures. He transferred to RCA Victor in 1931, and left the company some time before 1942, after which his research focused on sound motion picture standards, particularly on picture-sound synchronization. Offenhauser was awarded the John Grierson International Gold Medal Award in 1977 by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), authored several books, and received 70 patents. He died in Connecticut in 1995. The William H. Offenhauser, Jr. papers are composed of notes, schematics, and correspondence from his work at RCA Photophone on recording sound on motion picture film. The papers include licensing agreements, meeting reports on the progress and problems of Photophone technology, parts catalogs, RCA press materials like the booklet, “RCA, who we are and what we do,” and a copy of his patent for “Sound Reproduction” by light (2,018,315.) Of special note is a list of movie theaters with sound motion picture projection rooms in New York in 1928. 1910 US federal census for Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn, New York lists, a household headed by William Offenhauser, 39, b. Germany, parents b. Germany, immigrated in 1881, contractor, leather goods; wife Mary Offenhauser, 31, b. Ireland, parents b. Ireland,mmigrated in 1884; son Wm Offenhauser Jr., 5; daughters Agnes Offenhauser, 4; Marie Offenhauser, 11 months, all b. New York. [3] 1915 New York census for 651 84th Street, Brooklyn, New York lists household head Wm Offenhauser, 45, 33 years in US, manufacturer, leather goods; Mary C Offenhauser, 38, 36 years in US; Wm J Offenhauser, 11; Agnes Offenhauser, 9; Marie Offenhauser, 6. [4] 1925 New York census for 651 84th Street, Brooklyn, New York lists household head Wm Offenhauser, 53, 33 years in US, pleas contractor; Mary C Offenhauser, 42, 36 years in US; Wm J Offenhauser, 21; Agnes Offenhauser, 19; Marie Offenhauser, 16; Alice Langley, sister, 38, b. Ireland, 38 years in the US. [5] 1930 US federal census for the Columbia University Club, 4 West 43 Street, New York, New York, William H. Offenhauser, lodger, 25, single, b. New York, father b. Germany, mother b. Ireland, electrical engineer, sound motion picture equipment. [2] 1940 US federal census, Hotel Mansfield, 12 West 44th Street, New York, New York, included guest William H Offenhauser, 35, residence in 1935, Conshohocken, Pennsylvania; sales engineer, motion pictures, $2340 income. [1] 1950 US Federal Census for the residence 38 River Street, New Canaan, Fairfield, Connecticut, headed by William H Offenhauser, 45, b. New York, Married, electrical engineer; father b. Germany; mother b. Ireland; self-employed, $5,500/year; wife Helen C Offenhauser, 37, b. New York; daughters Mary Offenhauser, 6; Janet L Offenhauser, 3; Nancy W Offenhauser, 1, all b. Connecticut. [6]
  Person ID	I2167	Negroponte-Agelasto
  Last Modified	12 Jul 2022

  
  

  Father	William Henry Charles (Moritz) Offenhauser,   b. 19 Feb 1870, Lubeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany d. 13 Feb 1938, Conshohocken, Montgomery, Pennsylvania USA (Age 67 years)
  Mother	Mary Christina Langley,   b. 25 Dec 1875, Gort, County Galway, Connacht, Ireland d. 16 Nov 1960, Trumbull, Fairfield County, Connecticut USA (Age 84 years)
  Marriage	21 Jun 1903	Church of Holy Innocents, 128 W 37 St, New York, New York USA
  Family ID	F930	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Helen (Leonidas) Calvocoressi,   b. 03 Jun 1912, 383 West End Avenue, New York, New York USA d. 28 Nov 2003, New Canaan, Fairfield, Connecticut USA (Age 91 years)
  Children	+ 1. Living + 2. Living   3. Living   4. Nancy Wynn (William) Offenhauser,   b. 30 Dec 1948, New Canaan, Fairfield, Connecticut USA d. 07 Mar 2011, Amenia, Dutchess County, New York USA (Age 62 years)
  Family ID	F929	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	25 Mar 2008

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 08 May 1904 - Brookyln, Kings County, New York USA Death - 09 Mar 1995 - Norwalk, Fairfield, Connecticut USA Burial - 13 Mar 1995 - Lakeview Cemetery, New Canaan, Fairfield County, Connecticut USA  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Headstones

  The Calvocoressi Burial Site Lakeview Cemetery, New Canaan, Fairfield County, Connecticut USA Plot: Section N, Lot 27

  
  

• Sources

  [S118] 1940 US Federal Census. [S130] 1930 US Federal Census. [S132] 1910 US Federal Census. [S143] 1915 New York State Census. [S144] 1925 New York State Census. [S155] 1950 US Federal Census.