William Albert Rhodes (December 29, 1916 – January 22, 2007) was an astronomer and inventor who developed a novel method for the production of oxyhydrogen – initially named "Rhodes' Gas" after the inventor.

Rhodes was born in Garden City, Kansas on December 29, 1916, to George E. and Bertha G. Rhodes.^[1] Rhodes was awarded an honorary science doctorate by Columbia University.^[2]

In 1929, he relocated from Loveland, Colorado, where he studied music, to Phoenix, Arizona.^[1] In 1936, Rhodes attended a meeting of The Society for Research of Meteorites.^[3] In 1939, he married Doris Fern Browning; At that time, he was a musician known professionally as "Wee Willie" and an instructor at the Institute of Educational Music.^[4][5] In 1940, Rhodes was profiled by the newspaper The Arizona Republic after he created a radio-controlled model airplane.^[6] In 1941, Rhodes and his lifed was described by an article after he spent four months constructing a telescope.^[7] [

In 1947, Rhodes announced he had photographed a UFO over his house – the photos were published in The Arizona Republic.

In 1949, Rhodes authored a letter to the editor concerning a matter involving the city's garbage dumps.^[8] That same year, Rhodes was visited by a friend and colleague, inventor Lee de Forest; The visit was the subject of an article in The Arizona Republic.^[1][9]

In 1950, Rhodes again photographed an unidentified object, this time through a high-powered telescope.^[10][11] In 1951, Rhodes constructed a 16-inch portable telescope which was featured in the local newspaper.^[12] In October 1951, Rhodes reported the theft of a lethal load of radium bromide from his home laboratory; The lead-lined container, still holding the radium, was discovered the next day.^[13]

In 1952, Rhodes was mentioned in the magazine Popular Mechanics for his recent invention of a television light amplifier.^[14] In 1952, Rhodes was featured in Newsweek magazine for this TV work.^[15]

In July 1952, Rhodes again featured in the Arizona Republic which described him as an "amateur astronomer and professional electronics engineer"; Rhodes and fellow amateur astronomer Harry E. Lang speculated that flying-saucer reports might be associated with the proximity of the planet Mars.^[16] In 1955, he participated with an exhibition of solar-powered machines; Rhodes constructed a device which used solar power to create hydraulic pressure.^[17] In 1956, Rhodes and others formed the "Institute for Advanced Research".^[18]

In 1958, Rhodes authored a letter to the editor, objecting to a recent high court ruling against individuals practicing architecture without a license; Rhodes argued that "police powers of this state are being used to protect the vaunted who who, like most of us human beings, dislike competition".^[19] Also in 1958, Rhodes was profiled after building a bomb shelter.^[20]

In 1957, Rhodes again was consulted by the Arizona Republic, where he debunked a recent unidentified sighting – Rhodes explained the object was a first magnitude star.^[21]

In August 1959, he authored a letter comparing Socialism and Communism.^[22]

In 1960, Rhodes helped the Republic compute schedules for when the US satellite Echo 1 would be visible from Phoenix.^[23] In 1960, after local skywatchers reported an unidentified light, Rhodes explained that the object, which he viewed through his telescope, appeared to be a Sabre jet.^[24] In 1961, Rhodes helped develop a heat detection device for local firefighters.^[25] In 1962, Rhodes applied for (and later received) a patent for an invention concerning the electrolytic production of oxyhydrogen – initially named "Rhodes' Gas" and later "Brown's Gas".^[26][27]

Rhoades’ first wife was Doris Fern Browning (married 1939). They were divorced in 1942, and had a son, George Wyatt Rhodes. In 1959, Rhodes authored a tribute to his recently deceased wife Maxine.^[28] In 1959, Rhodes married Eileen Tremble Baker.^[2] followed in the 1960s by marriages to Betty Brown and Phillis (last name not known by the editor).^[29] In 1980, he married Nancy Virginia Ross. They remained married until his death.^[30]

Rhodes died on January 22, 2007.^[1]