Hazeltine Corporation
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Defense electronics |
| Founded | 1924 |
| Founder | Louis Alan Hazeltine |
| Defunct | 1986 |
| Fate | Acquired by Emerson Electric Company; later integrated into BAE Systems Inc. |
| Headquarters | Greenlawn, New York , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Philip La Follette (President, 1955–1959) |
| Products | Automatic Gain Control circuit, IFF systems, Hazeltine Terminal (computer terminal) |
Number of employees | 2,600 (1981) |
| Parent | Emerson Electric Company (1986–1990), ESCO Electronics Corporation (1990–1996), GEC-Marconi (1996–1999), BAE Systems (1999–present) |
Hazeltine Corporation was a U.S.-based defense electronics firm that operated from 1924 until its acquisition in 1986. It was purchased by Emerson Electric Company in 1986 and later integrated into BAE Systems Inc. in 1999.
1924–1986
The company was established in 1924 to capitalize on Dr. Louis Alan Hazeltine's Neutrodyne patent. From 1955 onward, its main office was located in Greenlawn, New York. Hazeltine maintained several facilities across Long Island, including Wheeler Laboratories in Smithtown, manufacturing plants situated in Riverhead and Little Neck, NY, as well as a division based in Braintree, Massachusetts. By 1981, the workforce numbered approximately 2,600 employees.
Initially dedicated to electronic circuit innovation and patent licensing, Hazeltine expanded its influence through advancements in radio and television technology. Its Automatic Gain Control circuit became widely adopted in nearly all AM radios from the 1930s until the relevant patents expired. Additionally, the company played a significant role in developing fundamental elements of the NTSC color television standard.
Between 1955 and 1959, Philip La Follette, who had previously served as governor of Wisconsin, held the position of company president.
Throughout the early 1980s, Hazeltine thrived as a contractor for the U.S. Federal government’s defense sector, focusing on the design and production of Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) systems used in military detection.
During the 1970s, Hazeltine applied its defense industry expertise to create the Hazeltine Terminal—an early monochrome smart computer terminal. The Hazeltine 1500 model became popular within the nascent microcomputer market. Eventually, this terminal product line was sold to Esprit Systems, a spin-off formed by former Hazeltine staff in January 1983 who believed the original company had insufficiently promoted the Hazeltine Esprit terminal brand.
1986–present
In 1986, Emerson Electric Company acquired Hazeltine.
By 1990, Emerson divested its Government and Defense Group—including Hazeltine—resulting in the creation of ESCO Electronics Corporation.
In 1996, GEC-Marconi Electronic Systems Corp., a U.S. subsidiary of The General Electric Company, purchased Hazeltine from ESCO and rebranded it as GEC-Marconi Hazeltine. This transaction was valued at $110 million and was arranged with assistance from Quarterdeck Investment Partners, Inc.
Following the 1999 merger between GEC-Marconi and British Aerospace, which formed BAE Systems, the entity was renamed BAE Systems Advanced Systems. In 2002, it was further rebranded as BAE Systems CNIR (Communication, Navigation, Identification and Reconnaissance).
A corporate restructuring in 2007 merged this division into BAE Systems Electronics and Integrated Solutions, now operating under the name BAE Systems Sensor Systems.