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The OP writes: "He was crucial in the development of radar, so he doesn’t seem to be a crackpot worthy of obscurity."

While the linked http://wikirota.org/en/Main_Page site claims that he was "a pioneer in the development of the radar", the Wikipedia article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_radar) doesn't even mention the name.

He does seem to be a crackpot worthy of obscurity.

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I don't know if he was a "crackpot" or not, but your criteria (Wikipedia mention) is invalid. Wikipedia is neither complete, nor unbiased, nor objective, nor free of controversy.

As a first step in improving your criteria, look at the argumentum e contrario: Do you think there are no crackpots worthy of obscurity who have a Wikipedia entry?

You are right, of course, and I wasn't clear. Use Google, try to find any information on the guy or his theories outside of his fan wiki. If he was really "crucial in the development of radar", he can't be that obscure.

http://www.google.com/search?&q=%22Louis+Rota%22+radar

I would suggest searching in French. I would, but I don't speak French.

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