To keep cost down Mission Bell would buy as many prefabricated parts as possible and made a few design changes to established radio chassis to avoid legal action.

In 1941, Les Hoffman, then a fluorescent lamp salesman, came to the Mission Bell Radio Office to collect an overdue debt.

Hoffman moved into color television slowly and by the late 1960s had a full line of consumer products.

After World War II ended, there was considerable surplus materials that needed to be cleared out of company and government stores.

Hoffman took advantage of this scare by advertising that the yellow-green tinted screen reduced eye strain.

[6][citation needed] From 1950 to 1960 Hoffman became diversified, through startups and acquisitions of consumer, industrial and military electronics firms.

The company reorganized into Hoffman Electronics Corporation, based in El Monte, California, about 15 miles (24 km) east of Los Angeles.

Several divisions were formed, of which the most prominent were: Since the early days of World War II Hoffman produced for the military various items, such as radar, communications, countermeasures, navigation and ASW equipment.

Several manufacturers, including Hoffman, managed to improve the efficiency to 4.5 percent by 1954, but photovoltaic cells were still impractical.

Hoffman made great strides in making the solar cell a practical and useful source of renewable energy.

From 1957 to 1960, he improved its efficiency from 4.5 to 14 percent and lowered the production cost to make it a marketable item.

One of Hoffman's great achievements was the first satellite to be powered by solar cells, the Vanguard 1, launched in 1958.

The success of Vanguard 1 led Hoffman to broaden the use of his solar cells into other products and applications.

Hoffman's Consumer Products Division introduced a transistor radio line that operated with solar cells or batteries.

Hoffman Electronics Military Division specialized in air navigation, communications and radar systems.

It is a series of ground- or ship-based transmitter and receiver stations that can provide bearing, slant distance and other related information to any aircraft sending the correct frequency and code.

The El Monte site was located near major engineering universities in the Los Angeles County area.

In 1988 the Military Products Division became an independent company called NavCom Defense Electronics Inc. with its home office in El Monte (later moved to Corona).

Their donations and matching contributions totaled over $2.5 million over the years and help shape the future of USC.

[14] After Les Hoffman died, his wife Elaine continued their involvement of the foundation until her death on August 5, 1989.