Not on the Mayflower

Book by Kline, Terry

Dietrich W. Botstiber was born in Vienna, Austria in 1912. His father was the general manager of the Konzerthaus, one of the major musical institutions in Vienna, so Botstiber grew up in a home where notable composers, conductors, musicians, and singers were frequent visitors. Although he had a classical education, his interests were in science and technology rather than literature and the arts. He graduated in 1935 from the Technical University of Vienna with a Diplom Ingenieur (the equivalent of a Master of Science degree.) He had to abandon his research work on semi-conductors and forego finishing his PhD at the University of Vienna when the Nazis took power in Austria and he emigrated to the United States in 1938. After working in a fascinating variety of job and development projects (from cigar manufacturing machinery and vending machines to armaments and helicopters) he founded Technical Development Company (TEDECO) and did pioneering work on failure detection devices and high-speed power transmission assemblies. TEDECO was also involved in consulting and specialized manufacturing for major aerospace companies. His homes and main office and plants were all located in the Philadelphia area. After selling TEDECO and retiring, he established a foundation that makes grants for university scholarships and teaching positions.