Telecommunications Pioneer. As chief executive of Motorola for over 40 years, he built his company from a manufacturer of police radios and television sets into a world leader in the electronics industry. In 1959, Galvin was named CEO of Motorola after the death his father, company founder Paul Galvin. He oversaw Motorola’s pioneering efforts in the cellular industry, including the creation of the first commercial cellphone in 1973 and the construction of the first cellphone network in the early 1980s. The company also manufactured electronic test equipment, early versions of bar code scanners, and other products for corporate and government customers. In 1996, Motorola manufactured the first pocket-sized “flip phone”, the StarTAC. This innovation paved the way to a cell phone market which now includes some 3.8 billion subscribers worldwide. In addition Galvin expanded Motorola in overseas markets such as China, where the company’s annual sales have grown to $10.8 billion. He remained in the post as chief executive, chairman of the board and other Motorola company capacities until he fully retired in 2001. (bio by: John “J-Cat” Griffith)