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Ralph Henry Baer
| Ralph Henry Baer | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Rudolph Baer |
| Born | 8 March 1922 Rodalben, Palatinate, Germany |
| Died | 6 December 2014 Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Nativity | Germany |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Known for | Inventor, Video Game Designer, Engineer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 32887607 |
| Rank | Private First Class |
| Rank at Ritchie | Private |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 10 (23 July – 20 September 1943) |
| Section | 5D |
| Enlisted | New York City, New York |
| Specialty | Order of battle; weapons instruction |
| Unit / division | Military Intelligence, Tidworth And Normandy |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Ralph Henry Baer (1922–2014), born Rudolph Baer in Pirmasens, was a German-born American order-of-battle specialist and weapons instructor. After serving in Europe, he became a pioneering electronics engineer known as the father of home video games.
Biography
Ralph H. Baer was born Rudolph Baer in Pirmasens, Germany, in 1922. Baer's technical aptitude, German fluency, and knowledge of the country led to his selection for Camp Ritchie. In England, Baer was assigned to a military intelligence group at Tidworth. Baer later served in Normandy, where his knowledge of enemy equipment and organization supported the Allied campaign. After the war Baer built a career as an electronics engineer and inventor. Baer received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 2006 for his pioneering achievements. His Jewish family escaped Nazi Germany and settled in New York City. Interested in electronics, he learned radio repair and worked in that trade before entering the Army. He trained as an order-of-battle specialist, learning to identify German formations, weapons, commanders, and deployment patterns so that scattered information could be assembled into a useful picture of enemy strength. Working with fellow Ritchie Boy Mauksch, he helped establish a weapons museum and instructional collection. The displays gave American soldiers hands-on familiarity with German weapons they might encounter in combat. His duties made practical use of the electronics experience he had acquired in New York and the German military expertise taught at Camp Ritchie.
The timeline research also records 1940 Graduated from the National Radio Institute as a radio technician. 9-20-43 Graduate of 10th Class (IPW-Ge) as Pvt. Baer returned from Europe with 18 tons of foreign small arms, which are now part of Army exhibits in Aberdeen, MD, Springfield MA, and particularly at Fort Riley KS. Graduated as the first Bachelor of Science in Television. Graduated as the first Bachelor of Science in Television Engineering. While traveling from New York to Liverpool (on SS Mataroa), Baer met Pfc Hans Mauksch, a graduate of the 13th Class at Ritchie. 1950-present Baer’s outstanding career as inventor and his designation as the. 1950-present Baer’s outstanding career as inventor and his designation as the “Father of (Interactive) Video Games”, can be appreciated by reading about his accomplishments at any and all of the websites below. Worked as troubleshooting radio repair man; ran three radio service stores. Worked as troubleshooting radio repair man; ran three radio service stores; designed, built, and repaired all kinds of radios. 1946-1949 Attended American Television Institute of Technology. Assigned to MIS HQ in London (Tidworth), Baer joined Mauksch as a member of a Military Intelligence group to train troops on enemy subjects in military intelligence schools in England and France. 10-5-43 Became naturalized citizen (5826010) in Hagerstown MD.
Research notes
- MIS London
- Tidworth
- OSS
- “Father of Video Games”; Odyssey; Pong
- Portrait and summary from Notable Ritchie Boys slides (source).
Gallery
Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 92 |
| Nara ASN | 32887607 |
| Nara Name | BAER RALPH H |
| Nara State | 23 |
| Nara County | 61 |
| Nara POE | 2364 |
| Nara DOE | 120443 |
| Nara Grade Alpha | PVT |
| Nara Grade Code | 8 |
| Nara Branch Alpha | NO |
| Nara Branch Code | 2 |
| Branch | No branch assignment |
| Nara Term or Enlistment | 5 |
| Term of enlistment | Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law |
| Defer. Date | 0 |
| Nara Source | 0 |
| Nara Nativity | N1 |
| Nara Year of Birth | 22 |
| Nara Race | J |
| Nara Race Description | White not yet a citizen |
| Nara Education | 4 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 583 |
| Nara Marital Status | 1 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 0 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 124 |
| Class_ASN | 32887607 |
| Class_Name | BAER, Ralph H. |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
| Census_HISTID | BA90D884-AFC9-48F6-B2E2-D53318E31A25 |
| Census_State | NEW YORK |
| Census_Relate | Child |
| Census_Sex | Male |
| Census_Age | 18 |
| Census_BirthYear | 1922 |
| Census_Marital | Never married/single |
| Census_Race | White |
| Census_BPL | 453 |
| Census_MBPL | 0 |
| Census_FBPL | 0 |
| Census_Citizen | Not a citizen |
| Census_Educ | Grade 11 |
| Census_OCC | 226 |
Timeline
- 9-20-43 Graduate of 10th Class (IPW-Ge) as Pvt. Certificate 3231.
- 3-8-22 Born in Pirmasens, Germany (Rudolph Heinrich Baer) to.
- 2006 Baer was awarded the National Medal of Technology. The same year, he donated all his hardware prototypes and documents to the Smithsonian.
- Departed as part of a group of 10 Officers and 110 enlisted men for Fort Slocum NY for transshipment ‘to cold climate’. While traveling from New York to Liverpool (on SS Mataroa), Baer met Pfc Hans Mauksch, a graduate of the 13th Class at Ritchie. Assigned to MIS HQ in London (Tidworth), Baer joined Mauksch as a member of a Military Intelligence group to....
Sources
- Wikipedia: Ralph H. Baer
- Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. (The Ritchie History Museum), Classes 1–31 roster data
- Dan Gross research spreadsheets, including original Excel timeline/roster work, combined with other research and records
- NARA World War II Army enlistment records (where a NARA ASN is present)
- 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2016-09-30 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2026-02-27 (1 post)
- The Stories essay
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Ralph H. Baer for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 2 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Baer, Ralph H. for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 2 source files: RALPH H. BAER (2020).doc, RALPH H. BAER.doc)