City of Light: The Story of Fiber Optics

DRAMATIS PERSONAE: CAST OF CHARACTERS 263
would-be inventor of television, who in 1895 proposed sending an image
through a bundle of bent glass rods.
Sandbank, Charles: Division manager at Standard Telecommunications Laboratories;
responsible for optical communications research from mid-1960s.
Schindler, Rudolf: German-born developer of semiflexible gastroscope replaced
by fiber optics.
Schultz, Peter: Glass chemistry specialist on Corning team that made first lowloss
fiber, now president of Heraeus Amersil Inc.
Schwalow, Arthur L.: Co-author of key paper on laser theory with Charles
Townes; later Nobel Laureate for development of laser spectroscopy.
Shumate, Paul: Bellcore engineer who directs development of broad-band home
systems, including fiber optics.
Siegmund, Walter: Former student of Brian O’Brien’s who headed fiber optic
development at American Optical from the late 1950s.
Simon, Jean-Claude: Director of CSF central research laboratory in France.
Smith, David D.: Patented bent glass rod as dental illuminator in 1890s.
Snitzer, Elias: American Optical scientist who formulated theory of single-mode
fibers and developed fiber-optic lasers. Later worked at Polaroid and Rutgers
University.
Spitz, Eric: Head of microwave lab at CSF Central Research Laboratory in France.
Standard Telecommunication Laboratories: Harlow, England-based research
arm of Standard Telephones and Cables, a British subsidiary of ITT. Now part
of Northern Telecom (Nortel).
Steventon, Alan: Semiconductor laser developer at British Post Office.
Stewart, Walter: President of American Optical Corporation.
Stone, Julius: Bell Labs physicist; developer of liquid-core fibers.
Tillman, Jack: Deputy research director at British Post Office during early fiber
development.
Tillotson, Leroy: Managed research on communications through the atmosphere
at Bell Labs in Crawford Hill.
Tkach, Bob: Bell Labs developer of high-speed fiber-optic systems.
Todd, Mike (1907–1958): American entertainment impresario and promoter of
wide-screen movies.
Townes, Charles H.: Nobel laureate in physics for inventing the fundamental
principles of maser and laser operation while at Columbia University.
Tyndall, John (1820–1893): Irish-born British physicist who demonstrated light
guiding in a water jet in 1854.
Uesuge, Naoshi: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone engineer who identified hydrogen
problem in submarine cables.
Upton, Lee: Glass specialist at American Optical.
Valpey, Ted: Chairman of Valtec.
van Heel, Abraham C. S. (1899–1966): Professor of optics at the Technical
University of Delft in the Netherlands and leader of Dutch optical community,
who proposed imaging bundles and made first bundles of clad optical fibers.
Werts, Alain: French engineer at CSF central research laboratory who published