Summary of work and development of light emitting diodes (LEDs) and diode lasers done in the 1950s and early 1960s at Sylvania Research Laboratories, and at General Telephone and Electronics Laboratories, 1961-1964. Semiconducting Compounds Group investigates intermetallic compounds, especially GaAs and HgTe in the 1950s. Group joins the Battelle Memorial Institute group, 1957. Group effort devoted to GaAs from 1958. Group leaders discussed, Don Wahl, Henry Minden, Sumner Mayburg. Work prompted in part by Heinrich Welker's 1952 report on preparation and properties of III-V compounds. Description of research proposals, notebook entries, reports, and memos pertaining to invention of GaAs laser, GaAs diffuse diode lasing, 1961-1962, and the cylindrical GaAs laser diode, 1963. GT&E activity in light emitting diodes and laser diodes reduced by 1964. Also prominently mentioned are: K. Arnold, J. Birman, R. Harrigan, Paul Keck, M. J. Massoulie, J. I. Pankove, B. Smith, and Otto Weinrich.