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Preist (Don) papers
M1411
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Table of contents
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Title: Don Preist papers
source:
Preist, Ruth C. Talcott
Identifier/Call Number: M1411
Physical Description:
10 Linear Feet
(18 manuscript boxes; 1 carton; 1 flat box; 12 map-folders)
Physical Description:
0.00072 gigabyte(s)
1 3.5" floppy disk
Date (inclusive): 1934-2002
Date (bulk): 1949-1991
Abstract: Don Preist's biographical and research files, drawing plans, and testing reports for his innovative work with transmitter
tubes and klystrons with Eimac Inc. and Varian Associates.
Open for research, with the exception of born-digital materials, which are closed until processed. Note that material must
be requested at least 36 hours in advance of intended use. Audiovisual materials are not available in original format, and
must be reformatted to a digital use copy.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was given by the estate of Ruth Preist to Stanford University, Special Collections in September, 2003.
Donald Harold Preist, born in England in 1916, first became associated with various aspects of radar development in the late
1930s when conducting early experiments on the detection of ships and the development of high-power ground radar transmitters.
During the early part of the Second World War, Preist served as a flight lieutenant in the British Royal Air Force Volunteer
Reserve and took part in the raid of Bruneval, France where a complete German radar installation was captured and analyzed
by Preist for military intelligence purposes. In 1946, Preist became an Electronic Research Engineer with Eitel-McCullough
Inc. (Eimac) in San Bruno, California, an early leading manufacturer of conventional radio tubes and microwave transmitter
tubes that were used worldwide in radio and radar detectors.
At Eimac, Preist lead the development of the company's line of external cavity high power amplifier klystrons and was responsible
for the design of the first super-power klystron for the X626 Ballistic Missile Early Warning System Radar (BMEWS). During
this same period, Preist's future wife, Ruth M. Carlson Talcott was a Project Engineer at Eimac. From 1951-1962, Talcott
participated in several vacuum tube development projects, specializing in their chemical aspects, and was associated with
Eimac's ceramic envelope tube development since its inception. Talcott received a patent for her invention of the electron
tube comprising of beryllium oxide ceramic, and shared additional patents with her fellow Eimac engineers, including Preist.
After Eimac merged with Varian Associates in 1965, Preist continued his innovative work with klystrons, and during the early
1980s, Preist and Varian engineer program manager, Merrald Shrader invented the company's trademarked Klystrode tube, an efficient
transmitter for ultra-high frequency television. The application of this transmitter allowed a television station to broadcast
to a larger area with greater picture clarity and consistency. In 1990, Preist and Shrader won individual primetime Emmy
awards for Outstanding Achievement in the engineering division for the Varian Klystrode.
Preist held patents in both the United States and United Kingdom, and was an admitted fellow of the Institute of Electrical
Engineers of Great Britain and Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers in acknowledgement for his contributions towards
klystron development and for extending the limits on power and frequency in communications and radar. Preist retired from
Varian in 1992, and continued in consulting work with English Electric Valve (EEV), an energy company based in the United
Kingdom. Preist passed away in 2002, and Talcott followed in 2003.
[identification of item], Don Preist papers (M1411). Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford Libraries,
Stanford, Calif.
The Don Preist papers consist of professional and personal files created and maintained by Donald Harold Preist (1916-2002),
and pertain to his involvement with innovative research and development for transmitter tubes and klystron beams while he
was a lead engineer with the Eimac and Varian Associates companies. Materials in the collection include technical reports
and drawings; inter-office memos; research notes and calculations; correspondence; and photographs.
While Special Collections is the owner of the physical and digital items, permission to examine collection materials is not
an authorization to publish. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Any transmission
or reproduction beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or assigns.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Science -- History.
Electronic industries -- California
Radar transmitters
Radar -- history
Klystrons.
Preist, Ruth C. Talcott
Eimac (firm)
Eitel-McCullough, Inc.
Varian Associates. Eimac Division