The company was established at the time of the economic boom in Massachusetts.[1] Its first successful product was the gold bonded germanium diode, widely used in computers, military equipment, etc.[3] After that the company manufactured silicon rectifiers (which David claims were the world's first ones), grown junction silicon NPN transistors,[5] silicon diodes, germanium diodes, silicon/germanium micro-diodes, silicon references, silicon regulators, silicon controlled rectifiers, bilateral switching diodes, etc.[6]
At its heyday Transitron employed 1,600 people.[2] In 1959 Time Magazine reported it was number 3 American semiconductor company, after Texas Instruments and General Electric,[7] while Fortune Magazine placed it at number 2, with estimated 1959 sales of $40 million.[8] A number of senior industry persons, including Wilfred Corrigan, Dave Fullagar, Pierre Lamond, Nick DeWolf, George Wells, and Thomas Longo used to work in Transitron.[8]
In December 1959 the company went public, with IPO of 1,000,000 shares at $36 each. The first week closed at $43 per share.[7]
After going out of business, David Bakalar devoted his time to sculpture; see Renaissance (1989)[9] and TV Man or Five Piece Cube with Strange Hole (1993).