RTX Corporation
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Founders
Raytheon Company, United Technologies Corporation, Laurence Marshall, Vannevar Bush, Charles G. Smith, Frederick Rentschler · Founded 2020 · Arlington, Virginia
Quick Answer
RTX was founded by Raytheon Company, United Technologies Corporation, Laurence Marshall, Vannevar Bush, Charles G. Smith, Frederick Rentschler in 2020 in Arlington, Virginia. The company is currently led by Christopher T. Calio.
In 1945, an engineer named Percy Spencer was working at Raytheon, building highly powerful radar equipment for the US military. While standing next to an active radar set, he noticed that a peanut cluster bar in his pocket had completely melted. Highly curious, he held a bag of popcorn next to the radar, and it immediately popped. Raytheon realized their deadly military radar technology could instantly cook food. They patented the 'microwave oven', completely transforming a specialized defense contractor into a massive consumer electronics titan alongside their weapons division.
Established in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1922 as a microwave and radar electronics pioneer.
Invented the microwave oven (via Percy Spencer's cavity magnetron research) and missile defense systems before merging with UTC in 2020 to form RTX.
Industrial conglomerate tracing back to William Boeing and Frederick Rentschler's United Aircraft.
Encompassed Pratt & Whitney, Collins Aerospace, Carrier, and Otis before completing the aerospace merger with Raytheon.
Laurence Marshall was a civil engineer and MIT graduate who was fascinated by the commercial potential of household wireless radio.
Marshall co-founded the American Appliance Company (renamed Raytheon in 1925) and served as its first president, organizing early venture financing.
Vannevar Bush was a legendary electrical engineer and dean of engineering at MIT who later served as science advisor to President Roosevelt.
Bush co-founded Raytheon in 1922 and guided its research trajectory toward high-frequency electronics, radar, and advanced defense systems.
Charles G. Smith was an MIT physicist and inventor who conducted pioneering research on gaseous discharge tubes.
Smith invented the helium rectifier tube (the S-Tube), which allowed radios to run directly on household AC electricity without expensive batteries.
Frederick Rentschler was an aviation engineer who worked at Wright Aeronautical before founding Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in 1925.
Rentschler designed the air-cooled Wasp radial engine and formed United Aircraft Corporation (later United Technologies, merged into RTX in 2020).
Christopher T. Calio
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Calio's defining mandate is literally maintaining ruthless dominance over global supply chains. By executing an aggressive focus on resolving the engine crisis and satisfying the Pentagon's insatiable demand for weapons, he defended corporate relevance against incredible threats from Lockheed Martin and GE Aerospace. Yes. Yes. Yes.
Frederick Rentschler
Pratt & Whitney founder
Rentschler's historic, critical legacy is commercial aviation viability. By navigating the complex thermodynamic challenges of flight and pushing the development of reliable engines, he built an industrial foundation that allowed Pratt & Whitney to dominate the skies. Yes. Yes. Yes.
RTX Corporation was founded in 2020 by Raytheon Company, United Technologies Corporation, Laurence Marshall in Arlington, Virginia.
The founders established RTX Corporation with the objective of solving core inefficiencies in Aerospace and Defense, laying the foundation for its current global scale.
Even as RTX Corporation scales to $80.0B, the organization maintains the founders' commitment to innovation and customer-centric execution.