Eugene Polley
Eugene Joseph Polley (November 29, 1915 – May 20, 2012) was an American electrical engineer who spent his career at Zenith Electronics. He was born in Chicago to Polish‑American parents and attended the City Colleges of Chicago and Armour Institute of Technology, though he left before graduating.
Polley joined Zenith in 1935 as a stock boy, later moving to the parts department where he created the company’s first catalog. He then moved into engineering and worked on radar during World War II for the U.S. Department of Defense. He stayed with Zenith for 47 years, eventually becoming a leader in its Mechanical Engineering Group and earning 18 patents.
He is best known for inventing the first wireless TV remote control. In 1955, his Flash-Matic used four photocells in the TV cabinet and a pistol‑shaped remote that sent signals by shining light on the sensors. Aimed at a specific photocell, it could turn the TV on or off, mute the sound, and change channels. Polley also contributed to the development of the push-button car radio and video disk technology.
Polley and Robert Adler shared a Technology & Engineering Emmy Award in 1997 for pioneering the wireless remote control for television. He received the IEEE Consumer Electronics Award in 2009 for contributions to wireless remote control technology.
Polley died on May 20, 2012, at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, Illinois, at the age of 96. Zenith announced his death.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 13:24 (CET).