George Westinghouse | |
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Born | Central Bridge, New York, U.S. | October 6, 1846
Died | March 12, 1914 New York City, U.S. | (aged 67)
Known for | Founder of the original Westinghouse Electric Corporation |
Spouse |
Marguerite Erskine Walker
(m. 1867) |
Children | 1 |
Awards |
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Signature | |
George Westinghouse Jr. (October 6, 1846 – March 12, 1914) was an American entrepreneur and engineer based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who created the railway air brake and was a pioneer of the electrical industry, receiving his first patent at the age of 19. Westinghouse saw the potential of using alternating current for electric power distribution in the early 1880s and put all his resources into developing and marketing it. This put Westinghouse's business in direct competition with Thomas Edison, who marketed direct current for electric power distribution. In 1911 Westinghouse received the American Institute of Electrical Engineers's (AIEE) Edison Medal "For meritorious achievement in connection with the development of the alternating current system".[1] He founded the Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1886.[2]