Royal Wasson Sorensen
Royal Wasson Sorensen (April 25, 1882 – October 27, 1965) was the inventor of the vacuum switch, professor of electrical engineering and head of the electrical engineering department at California Institute of Technology, and was also noted for his work in high voltage transmissions and air pollution.

Sorensen was also a fellow and president of American Institute of Electrical Engineers and Eminent Member of Eta Kappa Nu.

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1882 births
1965 deaths
20th-century American inventors