Nils E. Lindenblad (1895-1978) was an RCA research scientist and inventor who made major contributions in radio and television sound transmission antennas and electronic air-conditioned refrigeration

By the end of 1920, RCA’s field research program in long-distance communications was strengthened by the addition of specialists such as Clarence W. Hansell, whose service to RCA in the succeeding years included outstanding contributions to radio transmission techniques, and Nils E. Lindenblad, whose subsequent work at RCA produced major advances in antenna design and, in later years, led to pioneering development of electronic cooling techniques.

From 1927 through 1930, Lindenblad and Philip S. Carter achieved major advances in the design of new antennas for the effective transmission of short-wave signals with the development of directive antennas which provided a combination of low cost and high efficiency. The first of these, Lindenblad’s Model A, was put into commercial service in 1927 which was directed to Germany but proved useful for communication to other points in Europe. Used in combination with Hansell’s Model A transmitter, it helped to establish a record for handling long-distance traffic by operating at speeds up to the limit of the best available terminal office equipment.

In 1939 Lindenblad's UWB antenna graced the top of the Empire State Building during the early days of RCA's development of television transmission. Over the years a number of U.S. patents were issued to Lindenblad for advances in the design of television and sound antennas.

Lindenblad designed and completed the world’s first electronic refrigerator in 1953, complete with cold storage chamber and ice-making compartments, entirely without moving parts. The next step was development of a larger refrigerator and a room air conditioning system, taking advantage of the continuing improvement in materials for the cooling junctions. Research work to develop electronic air conditioning was assigned to Lindenblad, principally because of his demonstrated inventiveness and persistence in a variety of his earlier research projects.

By October 1, 1956, the results were displayed at General Sarnoff’s 50th anniversary celebration—the world’s first electronically air-conditioned room, and a larger and more efficient electronic refrigerator both entirely free of moving parts or circulating fluids.