Keith Henney

Born in McComb, Ohio, on October 28, 1896, he developed an early interest in radio as a teenager and went on to study at Western Reserve University and Harvard. He became deeply involved with the Institute of Radio Engineers, eventually being recognized as a Fellow, and built a reputation as both an engineer and a clear, dependable explainer of fast-changing technology.

He is especially remembered for editing and writing influential reference works such as The Radio Engineering Handbook, Principles of Radio, Electron Tubes in Industry, and later handbooks on photography and electronic components. As editor of Electronics, he helped connect theory with day-to-day practice at a time when radio and electronics were transforming modern life.

Later in life he was also associated with New Hampshire history work, and he died on November 6, 1990, in New Hampshire. Today, he stands out as one of those rare technical authors whose books were not just informative, but genuinely useful to the people building, repairing, and learning the technologies of their time.