Wallace Henry Coulter (1913 - 1998)

Born 17 Feb 1913 in Little Rock, Pulaski, Arkansas, United States

Ancestors

Died 7 Aug 1998 at age 85 in Florida, United States

Biography

Wallace Coulter is Notable.

Wallace Henry Coulter was a remarkable individual who made significant contributions as an American electrical engineer, inventor, and businessman. He is widely recognized for his pioneering work in the field of hematology, revolutionizing blood cell counting and analysis. Coulter's invention of the Coulter Principle, a method for counting and sizing blood cells automatically, transformed medical diagnostics and had a profound impact on healthcare worldwide. His innovative technology not only enhanced the accuracy and efficiency of blood analysis, but also opened new avenues for medical research and improved patient care. Coulter's scientific achievements and entrepreneurial spirit exemplify the power of innovation and its potential to revolutionize healthcare practices, making him a truly notable figure in medical technology.

Wallace Henry Coulter was born on February 17, 1913 in Little Rock, Arkansas. His father was Joseph Richard Coulter Sr. and his mother Minnie Mae (Johnson) Coulter.^[1] He had one sibling Joseph Jr and he was the young of the two. The family moved around a lot, his father working as a railroad dispatcher and telegraph operator. In 1920, he lived in Wynne, Cross County, Arkansas^[2] and in 1930 on Second Street in McGehee, Desha County, Arkansas.^[3]

Even at an early age, he was an inquisitive child. Always fascinated with gadgets and numbers. When he was eleven years old, his father bought him his first radio kit. After graduating high school at age 16, he left home and attended Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. Later, he transferred to Georgia Institute of Technology. As the Great Depression spread across the country, he was forced to leave Georgia Tech and complete his education at Hendrix College in Conway, Faulkner County, Arkansas.^[4][5]

After graduating college, he took various jobs. He worked for WNDR in Memphis, Tennessee, maintaining the equipment and sometimes filling in as a radio announcer. It was here that he began to experiment on mobile communications. In 1935, he joined General Electric X-Ray as a sales and service manager in Chicago, Illinois. He serviced medical equipment, which gave him the knowledge of testing procedures in the hospital laboratory setting.^[5]

His new job also gave him the opportunity to travel overseas. He spent six months in Shanghai, China, where he could travel to many remote regions, including Hong Kong, Macao, and Canton. During his travel, he became fascinated with Chinese history and culture.^[5]

After China, he went to the GE office in Manila, Philippines. The country was more in line with his upbringing in rural Arkansas. Here he had the opportunity to return to his roots and farm. He loved tropical fruits, and later in life he would maintain a tropical fruit farm.^[5]

At the time he traveled the world, it was not common for US companies to have employees overseas. His time of traveling was an adventure that he loved to detail to his family. Sharing his love of tropical fauna, food and culture. As World War II began, he was still working overseas. In 1941, he was in Singapore, but had to leave as Japan threatened the island. He first tried to leave on one of the passenger ships, but was not able to gain passage. Before he could depart the island, it soon came under bombardment from the Japanese military. He eventually found passage on a cargo boat bound for India. After he arrived in India, his travel options were not that much better. Travel through Europe was impossible, so he had to make a long arduous route through Africa and South America before he could return to the United States.^[5]

After his return to the states, he settled back down in Chicago. He and his brother lived together in the Chicago area. He worked for several electronic companies, including Raytheon and Mittleman Electronics. He set up a workbench in his basement, and with his brother, they both experimented in their off time. Together, they came up with the Coulter Pinciple as a means for counting and sizing microscopic particles suspended in fluid. His first attempts to patent the invention failed, with one attorney even saying "you cannot patent a hole". Together they persisted, and in 1953 they were issued their first patent. Soon thereafter, they build the first Coulter Counter, a high speed automatic blood cell counter and cell size analyzer.^[5]

In 1958, he and his brother Joseph formed the Coulter Corporation and moved to Miami, Florida. The invention revolutionized laboratory testing. It eliminated costly and inaccurate methods of manually counting cells under a microscope.^[6]

He developed over 85 patents during his career.^[5] Both Wallace and his brother Joe became one of America's wealthiest men. Forbes magazine estimated their net worth at nearly $500 million each. They later sold the company for $1.04 billion to Beckman Instruments.^[6]

Despite his contributions and critical acclaim for his contributions to healthcare and the medical industry, he shunned publicity and the limelight. He lived a modest life. He nevered married or had any children.^[6][5]

Wallaced died of a cardiac arrest at the age of 85, on August 7, 1998 in Miami, Miamia-Dade County, Florida.^[7][8] He was buried at Woodlawn Park Cemetery South in the same city.^[9]

As a pioneer of the diagnostic industry, he left behind a lasting legacy of achievements. In 1960, he was awarded the highly prestigious John Scott Award for Scientific Achievement, the Distinguished Service Award by the American Society of Hematology, and was inducted into the National Inventor's Hall of Fame in 2004.^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947: National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For New York State, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147 Ancestry Record 2238 #304297097
2. ↑ 1920 United States Federal Census: Year: 1920; Census Place: Wynne Ward 1, Cross, Arkansas; Roll: T625_60; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 84 Ancestry Record 6061 #65163354
3. ↑ 1930 United States Federal Census: Year: 1930; Census Place: Mc Gehee, Desha, Arkansas; Page: 16B; Enumeration District: 0002; FHL microfilm: 2339808 Ancestry Record 6224 #105264456
4. ↑ Wikipedia Contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, last edited on 18 Mar 2022. "Wallace Henry Coulter." Accessed 27 Jun 2023.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8} Wallace H. Coulter Foundation, (n.d.). "A Man from Arkansas." Accessed 27 Jun 2023.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} Newspaper Clipping, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 11 Aug 1998, Tue. - Page 27. "Wallace H. Coulter, inventor 85, found a new way to count blood cells." Accessed 27 Jun 2023.
7. ↑ Florida, U.S., Death Index, 1877-1998: Ancestry.com. Florida, U.S., Death Index, 1877-1998 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Original data: State of Florida. Florida Death Index, 1877-1998. Florida: Florida Department of Health, Office of Vital Records, 1998. Ancestry Record 7338 #4641336
8. ↑ U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014: Social Security Administration; Washington D.C., USA; Social Security Death Index, Master File Ancestry Record 3693 #12714583
9. ↑ Burial: Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/149641277/wallace-henry-coulter: accessed 27 June 2023), memorial page for Wallace Henry Coulter (17 Feb 1913–7 Aug 1998), Find A Grave: Memorial #149641277, citing Woodlawn Park Cemetery South, Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA; Maintained by JOHN SVADBIK (contributor 47988338).

• See Also:
  • "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDNN-LP5 : 31 January 2021), Wallace Henry Coulter in entry for Joseph Coulter, 1920.
  • "Florida Death Index, 1877-1998," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VVJN-VHM : 25 December 2014), Wallace H Coulter, 07 Aug 1998; from "Florida Death Index, 1877-1998," index, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : 2004); citing vol. , certificate number 98766, Florida Department of Health, Office of Vital Records, Jacksonville.
  • "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V349-6MZ : 9 January 2021), Wallace H Coulter, 07 Aug 1998; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).