IEEE History Center ISSUEI 114, November 2020 THE IEEE HISTORY CENTER TURNS FORTY Such eorts address both goals one a This activity was part Signals from the Director . 2 o IEEE History Center Timeline . 2 Celebrating 40 Years This eort com- p Center Activities The administrative . and. finan- 4 c History Center Events Web Page Life Fellow Oral History Project Our new platform, IEEE has t ETHW Update t I am IEEE REACH – Ahead of the Curve g Milestones Update Gowen, for his l Tech History on the Web: Now, we have a new Chair, Dr. Michael Staff Favorites . 6 W Technological History on the Web “Juice” Documentary In addition, t Middleton Book Prize . 7 The Man Who Saw Tomorrow The second goal makes Wins W2020ith Middletonthe assistance Prize of this leader- c s Guest Article . 8 Appreciating Lewis Latimer The IEEE History Center and the Compact Florescent Bulb are both 40! Programs of Support for Scholars Edison would be proud. of Technical History . 9 (Image: Wikicommons) Fellowship and Internship Support from the IEEE T Historyhis special Center print newsletter, By focusing our eorts on w s Bibliography . 10 It is these gifts that, at Giving and Support for t IEEE History Center Programs . 12 IEEE History Center SIGNALS FROM THE DIRECTOR The newsletter reports on the By Michael N . Geselowitz, PhD program areas . This issue contains such up- activities of the IEEE History Center dates as well, many of which point out how and on new resources and projects in In my column in the last issue, I pointed out electrical and computer history. It is we have adapted to the COVID crisis . published three times each year— that 2020 is the 40th anniversary of the IEEE Engineers, however, like to see numbers once in hard copy (July) and twice History Center being founded as the staff sup- electronically (March and November) as well as stories . And the overall numbers port/partner of the IEEE History Committee . by the IEEE History Center. tell an impressive story on their own . In forty The actual anniversary date was in August, years, History Center staff have edited, tran- IEEE History Center but you will see in the story on page 4 that scribed, and posted more than 800 oral histo- 445 Hoes Lane most of the commemoration is taking place Piscataway, NJ 08854 ry interviews . We also conducted most of the this fall (virtually of course) . The column told interviews; a few were conducted by History Telephone +1 732 562 5450 a narrative of the history of IEEE’s historical Committee volunteers before there was a His- Fax +1 732 562 6020 activities, and the issue contained updates E-mail: [email protected] tory Center, and since then we have also en- on the latest events in each of the important www.ieee.org/about/history-center/index.html couraged a small number of peer-to-peer in- IEEE History Committee 2020 Janina Mazierska, Chair HOW CAN THE HISTORY CENTER HELP YOU? Martin Bastiaans, Vice Chair A Handy Guide to Some of Our Programs and Contacts Amy Bix Engineering & Technology History Wiki: https://ethw.org/Main_Page Elizabeth Bruton List of dedicated IEEE Milestones: https://ethw.org/Milestones:List_of_Milestones Robert Dent Jason Hui How to Propose an IEEE Milestone: http://ieeemilestones.ethw.org/Milestone_Guidelines_and_ David Kemp How_to_Propose_a_Milestone Vasudevan Lashminarayanan Milestone proposals in process: http://ieeemilestones.ethw.org/Milestones_Status_Report David Michelson Juan Carlos Miguez Oral History Collection: https://ethw.org/Oral-History:List_of_all_Oral_Histories Ranjit Nair REACH Program (free online materials for teaching the history of technology): https://reach.ieee.org/ Michael Polis Support for scholars: Antonio Savini Enrique Tejera Fellowship in the History of Electrical and Computing Technologies: John Vardalas https://www.ieee.org/about/history-center/fellowship.html Pugh Young Scholar in Residence: IEEE History Center Staff https://www.ieee.org/about/history-center/internship.html Michael Geselowitz, Senior Director Middleton History Prize (awarded to a book in the history of technology): [email protected] https://www.ieee.org/about/history-center/middleton-award.html Nathan Brewer, Archival and Digital Content Specialist [email protected] Mary Ann Hellrigel, Archivist/ IEEE HISTORY CENTER TIMELINE Institutional Historian [email protected] Celebrating 40 Years Alexander Magoun, Outreach Historian [email protected] Lisa Nocks, Historian [email protected] Kelly McKenna, REACH Program Manager [email protected] Robert Colburn, Research Coordinator [email protected] IEEE prohibits discrimination, harassment and bullying. For more information visit www.ieee.org/nondiscrimination © IEEE information contained in this newsletter may be copied without permission, provided that copies for direct commercial advantage are not made or distributed, and the title of the IEEE publication and its date appear on each copy. 2 SIGNALS FROM THE DIRECTOR Issue 114 November 2020 terviews by volunteers (see page 3) . We The reader can do the math on the av- have supported the History Center and “ The reader can do the math on erage annual output . These accomplish- the IEEE Board of Directors in approv- ments reflect the expertise, enthusiasm, ing more than two hundred Milestones . the average annual output. These and hard work of a staff that it has been After two earlier public websites, we accomplishments reflect the my honor to lead, as the fourth director, built the Engineering & Technology His- expertise, enthusiasm, and hard for twenty three of the History Center‘s tory Wiki (ETHW), which contains more forty years . It also represents tremen- work of a staff that it has been than 5,000 web pages and 15,000 files dous dedication and counsel from the (as well as hosting the Milestones and my honor to lead, as the fourth volunteers of the IEEE History Commit- the oral histories) and receives more director, for twenty three of the tee . But, as is usual in our end of year than a million visits each year . We built History Center‘s forty years.” newsletter, I would like to point out that a separate IEEE REACH website for pre- it also speaks to the great commitment university education, which, though in its and support from you, our donors . Early infancy, is on track to receive more than on, it was decided that IEEE’s historical 100,000 page views this year . We built the IEEE Archives, which activities could have more impact if they leveraged private philan- contain more than fifteen cubic meters of papers (much of it thropy in addition to IEEE funds . You have come through for us digitized on the ETHW), more than 1,000 objects, more than time and time again, and I hope that we can continue to earn your 6,000 images, more than 2,500 subject files, and several thou- support as we help to preserve, research, and promote the proud sand books in a separate research library . We have sponsored heritage of IEEE and its fields of interest . or co-sponsored more than a dozen IEEE conferences . We have Finally, let me wish you and your family a happy and safe published 114 newsletters . We have written or presented count- holiday season, and a good new year when I hope that we will less books, articles, papers, columns, lectures, and blogs . return to more in-person activities . NEWSLETTER SUBMISSION BOX The IEEE History Center Newsletter welcomes submissions of letters Hunting” are accounts of finding or tracking down tangible pieces of to the editor, as well as articles for its Reminiscences and Relic electrical history in interesting or unsuspected places (in situ and still Hunting departments . “Reminiscences” are accounts of history of operating is of particular interest) . Length: 500–1200 words . Submit a technology from the point of view of someone who worked in to [email protected] . Articles and letters to the editor may be the technical area or was closely connected to someone who did . edited for style or length . They may be narrated either in the first person or third person . “Relic IEEE HISTORY CENTER TIMELINE Celebrating 40 Years 3 IEEE History Center CENTER ACTIVITIES CENTER ACTIVITIES HISTORY CENTER EVENTS WEB PAGE As a service to IEEE members, as well as to the interested pub- have a history related event you would like us to post for you, lic, staff of the IEEE History Center is very excited to announce please email the information to [email protected] that it has set up a web page for upcoming history events The page will be linked to by other IEEE events pages as https://www.ieee.org/about/history-center/events.html part of an IEEE volunteer-led initiative to create an online re- In addition to History Center programs, the page is intended source for IEEE-wide events . to publicize history events by IEEE organizational units . If you LIFE FELLOW ORAL HISTORY PROJECT AIMS TO CAPTURE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF IEEE’S EXTRAORDINARY INNOVATORS The IEEE History Center tageous because the interviewer probably knows the technical “ IEEE Life Fellows, as hosts more than eight field better than a historian and may even know the inter- recognized by their hundred oral history inter- viewee personally, making the subject more at ease . Finally, views of important engi- members of geographically based units interviewing local col- membership grade, have neers on the Engineering leagues can cut down on travel time and expenses . Despite contributed to the world & Technology History Wiki . these advantages, however, the program remained small . body of knowledge in IEEE History Center staff Volunteers have a lot of other activity—IEEE and otherwise—on IEEE fields of interest and conducted the great ma- their plates . jority of these interviews .