Martin Cooper is an American engineer who is a pioneer in the field of wireless communications. Martin Cooper is frequently credited as the” Father of the Handheld Cellular Phone”. He oversaw the group that constructed the first mobile phone in 1972–1973. Cooper placed the first call ever made from a cell phone. Cooper’s role as the creator of the mobile phone will live on in infamy.
Martin Cooper Biography And Net Worth
Net Worth | 600 Million Dollars |
Name | Martin Cooper |
Date of Birth | December 26, 1928 |
Age | 93 Years |
Birth Place | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
Spouse | Arlene Harris (m. 1991) |
Education | Illinois Institute of Technology (1957), |
Profession | American engineer |
Martin Cooper Early Life
Martin Cooper was born in Chicago, Illinois. His parents, Arthur and Mary, emigrated from Ukraine. Martin attended the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), and received his diploma in 1950. Following his graduation, he got enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserves to serve as a submarine lieutenant during the Korean War. Later, Cooper attended IIT once again and graduated with a master’s in electrical engineering in 1957. In 2004, the university awarded Cooper an honorary degree. In 2021, IIT hosted a virtual celebration in his honor to pay tribute to “cell phone innovator, Life Trustee, and friend, Martin Cooper”.
Martin Cooper Career
Cooper, who had previously worked for the Teletype Corporation in Chicago, joined Motorola in 1954. In 1967, the Chicago police department began using the first portable handheld police radio. Martin created the radio while working as a senior research engineer in the business’ mobile equipment division. Later on, he rose to lead the communications systems section. It was under his leadership that the first portable mobile phone was conceived and developed in 1973.
Success
Cooper claimed that the first mobile phone was influenced by Dick Tracy’s wrist radio. Motorola made a $100 million investment in the idea between 1973 and 1993. The DynaTAC 8000x was designed and put together by Martin’s team in less than 90 days following the investment. The design was changed multiple times over the following ten years. The final device, which eventually hit the market, weighed only 1.5 pounds instead of the 2.5 pounds of the original DynaTAC 8000x.
The DynaTAC was featured on the cover of the “Popular Science” July 1973 issue. Cooper spent 29 years with Motorola leading teams that produced trunked mobile radio, liquid crystal displays, piezoelectric components, and more. He also held the positions of Corporate Director of Research and Development and Vice-President for the business. Cooper co-founded “Arraycomm” in 1992. It is a company that created software for mobile antenna technology. Under his direction, the California-based company expanded into a global leader in smart antenna technology with 400 issued or pending patents.
Martin Cooper Wife
Martin married Arlene Harris in 1991. Arlene’s family founded “Industrial Communications Systems, Inc.”. She is known to be someone who was “literally born into the wireless business”.
Martin Cooper’s Net Worth
Martin Cooper has a net worth of 600 million dollars as of this writing. His achievements in the field of wireless communication are the reason for his fortune.
Martin Cooper Body Features
Skin Color | Fair |
Hair Color | White |