IEEE History Center IISSUE 90, November 2012 Dignitaries attending the dedication of the Bose Coherer as an IEEE Milestone in Electrical Engineering and Computing in Kolkata, India. Static from the Director ............................ 2 Things to See and Do ................................ 8 Staff Notes .................................................... 3 New Book on Region 8 History .............. 9 Center Activities .......................................... 4 Grants and Fellowships .......................... 10 Milestones .................................................... 6 Donor Spotlights ...................................... 11 Technical Tour of Japan ............................ 8 Bibliography .............................................. 13 Surf City .......................................................... 8 IEEE History Center STATIC FROM THE DIRECTOR Be newsletter reports on the activities By Dr. Michael N. Geselowitz, Senior Director, every other year. of the IEEE History Center and on new resources and projects in electrical IEEE History Center Now that the IEEE Global History Net - and computer history. It is published work (GHN) is a mature platform, the History I have recently returned from Italy where I three times each year—once in hard copy Center staff are working even harder to serve (March) and twice electronically (July and had the privilege of meeting with the IEEE as a clearinghouse for IEEE’s historical content November) by the IEEE History Center. History Committee and to participate in IEEE and to leverage our resources to encourage HISTELCON 2012. HISTELCON is the history IEEE History Center and support historical activities by IEEE Orga - 39 Union St conference of IEEE Region 8, held about every nizational units (OUs), rather than trying to New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8538 USA other year. This was the third such confer - Telephone: +1 732 562 5450 everything ourselves. We hope that HISTEL - ence, and for the first time, the IEEE History Fax: +1 732 932 1193 COM will serve as a model for historical con - E-mail: [email protected] Committee and History Center served as tech - ferences throughout IEEE. URL: www.ieee.org/history_center nical co-sponsors (that is why the Committee In the same vein, this year we have been chose to meet in conjunction with the con - undertaking a major preservation project with ference). In fact, the IEEE History Committee IEEE History Committee 2012 the IEEE Electromagnetic Compatibility Soci - and History Center participated in HISTELCON Lyle Feisel, Chair ety, that can also serve as an example for rather than hold their own separate confer - Jonathan Coopersmith, Vice Chair other IEEE Societies (see page 5). The IEEE Jacob Baal-Schem ence as has been customarily done about Anthony Davies Irv Engelson members are encouraged to subscribe as well) to Don H. Johnson Subscription Information Elizabeth Johnston [email protected] Hirohisa Kawamoto The IEEE History Center newsletter is available free Current and past issues of the newsletter can David G. Michelson to all persons interested in technological history be accessed at: www.ieee.org/about/ history Juan Carlos Miguez – whether engineers, scholars, researchers, hob - _center/newsletters.html >omas J. Misa byists, or interested members of the public. It is The IEEE History Center is a non-profit organ - Antonio Perez-Yuste published in hard copy in March, and in electronic ization which relies on your support to preserve, re - Mischa Schwartz form in July and November of each year. Isao Shirakawa search, and promote the legacy of electrical To subscribe to the IEEE History Center’s engineering and computing. To support the Cen - free newsletter, please send your name, ter’s projects – such as the Global History Network, IEEE History Center Staff postal mailing address, e-mail address (optional Milestones, and Oral History Collection, please click if you wish to receive the electronic versions), the "Donate Online" tab at www.ieee.org/donate Michael Geselowitz, Staff Director and IEEE member number (if applicable – non- or www.ieeefoundation.org/ [email protected] Sheldon Hochheiser, Archivist and Institutional Historian [email protected] NEWSLETTER SUBMISSION BOX Alexander Magoun, Outreach Historian The IEEE History Center Newsletter welcomes submissions of Letters to the Editor, as well as articles [email protected] for its “Reminiscences ” and “Relic Hunting ” departments. “Reminiscences ” are accounts of history of a technology from the point of view of someone who worked in the technical area or was closely con - John Vardalas, Outreach Historian nected to someone who was. They may be narrated either in the first person or third person. Relic [email protected] “ Hunting ” are accounts of finding or tracking down tangible pieces of electrical history in interesting or Robert Colburn, Research Coordinator unsuspected places (in situ and still operating is of particular interest). Length: 500-1200 words. Sub - [email protected] mit to [email protected] . Articles and letters to the editor may be edited for style or length. Nathan Brewer, Global History Digitial Content Manager [email protected] The IEEE History Center Newsletter Advertising Rates The newsletter of the IEEE History Center is published three times per annum; one issue (March) IEEE prohibits discrimination, in paper, the other two (July and November) electronically. The circulation of the paper issue is harassment and bullying. 4,800; the circulation of the electronic issues is 22,500. The newsletter reaches engineers, retired For more information visit www.ieee.org/nondiscrimination engineers, researchers, archivists, and curators interested specifically in the history of electrical, electronics, and computing engineering, and the history of related technologies. © IEEE information contained in this Cost Per Issue newsletter may be copied without permission, Quarter Page $150 provided that copies for direct commercial advantage are not made or distributed, and Half Page $200 the title of the IEEE publication and its date Full Page $250 appear on each copy. Please submit camera-ready copy via mail or email attachment to [email protected] . Deadlines for receipt of ad copy are 2 February, 2 June, 2 October. For more information, contact Robert Colburn at [email protected] . 2 STATIC FROM THE DIRECTOR Issue 90 November 2012 Milestones Program (see page 6) has always intimately in - ety. These are just a few of the ways we are working at the OU volved IEEE Sections, and they remain active; but this year we level to strengthen our programs to preserve, study and make have worked with the IEEE Photonics Society to bring historical known the proud heritage of IEEE, its members, their profes - events in their field into the Program. In the past we have given sions and the related technologies. in-person workshops to OUs who wanted to work with us in Having pointed out all of the in-kind efforts by IEEE OUs, I historic preservation by conducting oral history interviews on still need to emphasize that most of our central activities are their own (Region 8, in addition to hosting HISTELCON, took supported by philanthropic giving from you, our loyal support - one of the workshops and has been active in this regard). This ers. I am pleased to welcome the eminent IEEE Life Fellow Les year, we piloted the workshop as a webinar, which should en - Vadasz to the ranks of our donors (see page 11), and I hope, as able us to reach many more OUs next year and beyond, and the end of the year approaches, you will consider an additional greatly expand our already impressive and important oral his - gift to us, perhaps when you renew your IEEE membership or tory collection. We recently arranged with IEEE Xplore to make complete your IEEE Life Member profile. available historical articles form the Solid-State Circuits Society Finally, let me take this opportunity to wish you and yours magazine available through links from the GHN, and we are a pleasant holiday season and a healthy and happy new year. now exploring the possibility with the Communications Soci - STAFF NOTES 2012-2013 HISTORY CENTER GRADUATE ASSISTANT PROFILES Marsha Barrett earned a B.A. in history from Yale University in Julia Katz received her BA in Africana Studies from New 2005. Her research interests include twentieth century United York University. She spent two years working in public health States political, social, and urban history. Her dissertation, writ - at an HIV/AIDS clinic in Chinatown. She is currently a second- ten under the direction of David Greenberg, is a political study year doctoral student of US and Pacific Islands histories. Her re - that examines Nelson Rockefeller’s relationship with the Re - search investigates historical intimacies between Polynesians publican Party during his tenure as governor of New York from and Asian migrant workers in the mid-nineteenth to early twen - 1959 to 1973. By focusing on the public’s reception to various tieth century Pacific. policies Rockefeller forwarded as governor and three-time pres - Raechel Lutz earned her B.A. in History and Art History idential candidate, this project explores the dissolution of mod - from Ithaca College in 2007. While working at the Montclair Art erate Republicanism as its most renowned proponent Museum in Montclair, NJ, she earned her M.A. in History from compromised his liberal ideals in hopes of becoming president. Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Newark in 2010. Travis