William Albert Rhodes

William Albert Rhodes, P.H.D., age 90, passed away January 22, 2007 at Brighton Gardens, Hospice of the Valley. Born in Garden City, Kansas on 12-29-1916 to George E. and Bertha G. Rhodes Dr. Rhodes first came to Phoenix in 1929 from Fort Collins, Colorado where he had been studying music at the conservatory. Dr. Rhodes was a developmental research physicist and prolific inventor who held over 40 patents. In addition to his music studies he had an ingenious interest in the Sciences and in his teens built one of the first remotely controlled model airplanes, which resulted in one of his first patents. In 1943 he designed and built a small electric car that had a range of over a hundred miles and a top speed of 93 miles an hour. A true natural genius he went on to design and build 3 large telescopes of which 2 were used in Arizona, 1 at Kitt Peak near Tucson and the other at Lowell observatory in Flagstaff. Discovered and mentored by the famous inventor Dr. Lee De Forest, who held over 300 patents including the original vacuum tube, they later collaborated on several inventions, including the light amplifier for television. Dr. Rhodes had many life-long interests including being an early Ham Radio Operator and solar scientist. Among his 40 patents are the oxy-hydrogen generator or water torch, a "water" welder, novoid engine and the mercury turbine power generator. He was the author of many scientific articles and several books on a wide range of subjects including force-field studies and magnetism. He built and donated a delicate Seismograph to ASU recently. Typing his name in Google will take you to explanations of many of his inventions. Dr. Rhodes is survived by his wife of 35 years, Nancy Ross-Rhodes, son George W. Rhodes, PHD of Albuquerque, NM, 3 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. Dr. Rhodes loved animals and requested memorial contributions be made to the Arizona Humane Society.