Celebration takes place for Frank Conrad's 150th birthday

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A birthday celebration was held at the historic Wilkinsburg Train Station on Saturday on what would've been the 150th birthday of Frank Conrad, the Pittsburgh engineer who developed the technology that would eventually help broadcast radio signals around the world.

The celebration, put on by the National Museum of Broadcasting, featured priceless artifacts and memorabilia, a silent auction, and of course, a birthday cake.

The transmitter Conrad built in the garage of his Wilkinsburg home would eventually be used to help launch KDKA Radio.

"Our phones, the televisions we watch, the radios we listen to, our computers. All of that started with technology all from this genius. A Pittsburgh inventor right here," said Rosemary Martinelli, a board member of the National Museum of Broadcasting.

The Frank Conrad Award for Broadcast and Electronic Media Innovation was also given out for the first time, with the inaugural award going to WQED-FM's Jim Cunningham.