SAN ANTONIO — In 2016 San Antonio was the biggest city without a science and technology museum but that year the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology or SAMSAT opened. Unfortunately the man who founded it, David Monroe, passed away behind the building in what authorities are calling a ‘freak workplace accident.
Officials say inventor and educator David Monroe was trying to help a coworker move the jet engine onto a dolly when it fell on him.
“It’s been a very difficult day, kind of hard to express in words,” said SAMSAT Chief Learning Officer, Cliff Zintgraff.
RELATED: Man killed by falling jet engine identified as inventor David Monroe, founder of SAMSAT
It happened yesterday afternoon. Now his coworkers and family are looking far beyond that — keeping their sights set on the legacy he left behind for the city.
“This space that I am in is the space that David built,” said Zintgraff.
Monroe was the founder and CEO of the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology. His love of science showed even before the museum was built in 2016. At 27, he became the Vice President of Research and Development for the Datapoint Corporation.
“And worked on the Datapoint 2200 that he was so proud was named as the first desktop personal computer in the world,” said Zintgraff.
He says before the 2200 desktop computer, computers were large, took up a lot of space, and would usually be used by a company or an agency. But that’s not all Monroe did.
“He holds the patent for the first use of a camera in a cellphone,” said Zintgraff.
Here you can see the device displayed in the museum. Students come here to participate in programs that introduce them to STEM research and coursework.
“I would like to share a message from Mrs. Monroe that his legacy will continue,” said Zintgraff.
And anyone that would like to support his legacy and SAMSAT can do so at this link.