Hedy Lamarr was a glamorous Austrian and American film star in the 1930s and 1940s.
Though she was best known for her beauty and acting, like many women, she was generally (until recently) not given credit for her other important accomplishments.
Women being misrepresented, underrepresented, disrespected or not represented at all for their contributions, is why New World Women created this Sharing Her Light series.
When women learn about the amazing ways other women have made our world better, we feel that more is possible for us too. Plus, it’s crucial for current and future generations that women’s accomplishments and contributions be known, honored and celebrated.
Hedy Lamarr partnered with composer George Antheil at the start of World War II to jam Nazi communications.
Lamarr and Antheil developed a radio guidance system using spread spectrum (a form of wireless communication) and frequency-hopping technology—now incorporated into Bluetooth technology and WiFi, as well as CDMA, a channel access method used by various radio frequencies.
Hedy Lamarr and George Antheil were inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014.
So the next time you log onto your laptop using WiFi or use your Bluetooth to run music through your speaker, think of Hedy Lamarr--who used her brilliance and tenacity to think outside the box and create technology that changed the outcome of World War II and makes it easier for us to communicate better today.
Thank you, Hedy Lamarr, for inspiring us to go beyond how others perceive us to how we may contribute--without limitation.