Warren Marrison

Warren A. Marrison (21 May 1896 – 27 March 1980)^[2] was a Canadian engineer and inventor. Marrison was the co-inventor of the first Quartz clock in 1927.^[3]type(he made a clock)

Warren A. Marrison
Born	Warren Alvin Marrison[1] (1896-05-21)21 May 1896 Inverary, Ontario, Canada
Died	27 March 1980(1980-03-27) (aged 83) Palo Verdes Estates, California[2]
Alma mater	Harvard University
Known for	Quartz clock
Scientific career
Fields	Horology
Institutions	Bell Labs

Early life and education

Marrison was born in Inverary, Frontenac county, Ontario.^[2] He studied at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, where he was part of a new program in engineering physics. He graduated in 1920 with a bachelor's degree in physics engineering;^[4] his studies were interrupted by World War I when he served in the Royal Flying Corps as a radio technician.^[2]

Beginning in 1921, he studied at Harvard University, ultimately receiving a master's degree.^[2] He worked at first for Western Electric in New York City, but moved to Bell Laboratories in New York beginning in 1925.^[2]

Quartz clock

At Bell Labs in New York, Marrison was working on frequency standards using quartz as a reference. It was in 1927 that he developed the first quartz clock while working with J.W. Horton. The clock used a block of crystal, stimulated by electricity, to produce pulses at a frequency of 50,000 cycles per second.^[5] A submultiple controlled frequency generator then divided this down to a usable, regular pulse that drove a synchronous motor.^[5] While this first version of the clock was crude; Morrison produced a more refined version in 1928.^[2] A New York Times headline in October 1929 reported "Electrified Quartz Crystal Displaces Clock Pendulum".^[6]

Legacy and awards

The invention would lead AT&T, the subsequent owners of Bell Labs, to develop a timepiece division called Frequency Control Products.^[7] This would eventually become the company Vectron International.^[7]

In 1947 Marrison was awarded a Gold Medal from the British Horological Institute.^[8] In 1955 the Clockmakers Company awarded him the Tompion Medal.^[2]

In 2011 Marrison was inducted into the Inventor's Hall of Fame.^[9]