The Acopian Solar Radio from 1957 was a remarkable technology for its time. It was truly unique because it didn’t require any external power source to operate. Instead, it was powered entirely by a selenium solar cell, making it a true pioneer in renewable energy. It’s fascinating to think about how far we’ve come since then and how much more advanced our solar technology is today.
Acopian and Workman met while attending Lafayette College in Easton, PA. Acopian received a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and Workman received a Bachelor’s degree in Economics. Acopian had immigrated to the United States from Iran in the 1940s and served in the US Army. He founded Acopian Technical Co. in Phillipsburg, NJ in 1957 and then relocated to Easton, PA. The company started with 5 employees at a small plant in the Parkside neighborhood of Easton, PA. (lots more detail https://www.acopian.com/SA.html)
Inventors: Sarkis Acopian, Thomas A. Workman (Acopian Technical Co., Easton PA USA)
Boxed Radios Photographed from the Bill Burkett collection
