Otto H. Schade, Sr. was born in Germany in 1903. He graduated from the Reform-Real-Gymnasium, a secondary education vocational school, in 1922. In 1926, Schade emigrated to the United States, and began to work for the Radio Corporation of America in the RCA Tube Division in Harrison, New Jersey in 1931. Schade’s research focused on picture quality, and he developed a unity theory of image analysis and specification, as well as practical methods for measuring the optical transfer function and noise in optical, photographic, and electronic imaging systems. Schade’s work improved television definition, resolution, sound, and image quality leading to better reception for viewers and to new products as RCA engineers used Schade’s theory to design better photographic lenses, films, television tubes, and electrical circuits.

In 1968, Schade retired from his position as the first Staff Engineer at RCA Harrison, but continued to serve the company as a consultant until 1974. He died in West Caldwell, New Jersey in 1981.

Schade was prolific, writing or presenting more than 30 papers during his career and earning 85 patents for his work. He was a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE). Schade’s numerous awards include an honorary Doctorate of Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the IEEE’s Vladimir K. Zworykin Award in 1969, the RCA Victor Award of Merit in 1946, a David Sarnoff Outstanding Achievement Award in 1969, and he was the first recipient of the David Sarnoff Gold Medal Award of SMPTE in 1951.