The Story of an Old Timer: Dr. Austin

In 1904, Dr. Stratton hired Louis Austin, an unpaid guest worker, for the first four years (although some indication was given that he was receiving funding from a wireless telegraph company).

In fact, in Dr. Austin's 28 year career at the Bureau he was never paid by NBS. The Navy paid his salary from 1908-1923 and he was paid by various other agencies until his death in 1932.

I guess it is fair to say he was the originator of "OA"* funding. A practice we are all too familiar with.

It didn't take him long. In less than a year, in 1905, Dr. Austin published the first Bureau paper on wireless, titled "Detector for small antenna currents and electrical waves" Scientific paper #22 Bulletin of the Bureau of Standards. He went on to publish over 70 papers on the subject.

*OA = other agency funding