The Compiled Resume for George E. Valley Jr.

History

George Edward Valley Jr.

Born: September 5, 1913, 351 W 28th St, New York City Married; Louisa King Williams, July 19, 1941, Winchester, Massachusetts Divorced Married; Alice Shea LaBonte, 1960 Died: October 16, 1999, Boston, Massachusetts

Parents:

George Edward Valley (b. ~1875, Ogdensburg, NY) Edith Ringgold Cummins Valley (b. ~1881, New York, NY)

Education:

PS 22, Flushing, NY, 1927 Flushing High School 1931 Massachusetts Institute of Technology SB 1935, Bachelor’s Thesis: “Development of White Standards for Use in Colorimetry” with Prof. AC Hardy University of Rochester PhD 1939, “The Determination of the Energies of the Radiations from Artificial Radioactive Elements” with Prof. Lee A. DuBridge

Employment:

• Bausch and Lomb Optical Co., 1935-36, Lens Design, Scientific Bureau • Rochester University, Teaching Fellow, 1936-39 • Research Assistant, Harvard University, 1939-40 • National Research Council Fellow, Harvard University, 1940-41with Prof. KT Bainbridge, “Study of Internal Conversion of Gamma Radiation, and Precise Measurement of Gamma Radiation Emitted during Nuclear Transmutations” • M.I.T. Radiation Lab., Senior Staff Member, 1941-46:

Project Engineer, Dual Lobe Gun-laying System 1941-42 Section Chair, APS-15 1943-44, developed first radar bombsight (AN/APS-15, H2X, “Mickey”), used by USAAF Nov. 1943- 1945 Editor, Radiation Laboratory Technical Series, 1945-46m

• M.I.T. Assist./ Assoc./ Full Professor of Physics, 1947-49; Associate Professor 1949-51; 1957-74

Undergraduate Planning Professor 1965- Committees: Educational Policy 1963-68; Student Aid 1963-65; Admissions 1968-

• M.I.T. Lincoln Laboratory: Division Head and Assist. Director, 1951-53; Assoc. Director 1953-57.

Head of Division 2, 1951-56. Conceived and directed development of SAGE System

• U.S. Air Force, Chief Scientist, 1957-58,

Top-secret Security Clearance by FBI 8-23-57.

• Melpar, 1958-59.

Research:

Pre-war: · Nuclear Physics, artificial radioactivity Mass-spectroscopy, isotope abundances World War II: · Radar navigation and bombing electronics Post-war: · Nuclear Physics Cosmic Rays and high energy particles Nuclear Physics instrumentation 1949-58 · Air Defense: radar, digital computers research administration

Interests:

Abraham Lincoln, Air Pistols, American Civil War, Astronomy, Classical Archeology, Computers, Concord town development, Electronics, Genealogy, Higher Education Reform, Mathematics, Medicine, Model Airplanes, Model Railroading, Physics, Photography, Sports Cars, Steam Engines, Writing Fiction.

Professional Service:

US Air Force, Scientific Advisory Board, 1946-1964: Air Defense System Engg. Committee (ADSEC): Chair of Project Charles, 1949-52 Basic Research Panel: Chair 1959-64 Electronic Systems Division Advisory Group: 1962-63 Electronics Panel: 1946-53, 1954-55, 1959-62, Chair 1951-52 Executive Committee: 1951-52, 1959-64 Scientific Resources Committee Space Technology Panel: 1959-61 Weapons Orientation Course, USAF Air command and Staff School, Maxwell Air Base, Alabama, April 25, 1952. Operation Hardtack, participant with Joint Task Force Seven, Spring, 1958. Invited to nominate candidates for the Nobel Prize in Physics, 1959, 1972. Avionics Panel, Advisory Group for Aeronautical Research and Development, NATO Consultants Panel, Operations Evaluations Group, US Navy.

Awards:

Flushing High School, Gold medal for excellence in mathematics. War Department Certificate of Appreciation, Dec. 21, 1945: “For his part in the preparation of comprehensive surveys of the application of radar to future Air Force operations, important future developments in radar, and methods of defense against the atomic bomb.” President’s Certificate of Merit, Mar. 1, 1948, signed by President Truman The Air Force Association Science Trophy, for initiating “the development of a system which promises to revolutionize the entire concept of continental air defense” and “for distinguished service to airpower in the field of science”, presented at the Los Angeles Convention, 1951 US Air Force Exceptional Service Medal 1956, “Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service” as member of AAF Scientific Advisory Group, Chairman of the Electronics and Communications Panel, for “pioneering effort and exceptional ability to defining and solving the problems of our continental air defense”, 1945-55. US Air Force Exceptional Service Medal 1958, “Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service” as Chief Scientist of the Air Force, Oct. 7, 1957 to Oct. 3, 1958. US Air Force Exceptional Service Medal 1964, “Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service” as member USAF Scientific Advisory Board, Chairman of Basic Research, July 1958 to Dec. 1964. Fellow of the American Physical Society, 1946- Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Fellow of the Society of Sigma Xi US Air Force Pioneer Award, Sept. 19,1997. “Your insight and articulation of the need to improve the U.S. air defenses after World War II led to the creation of Lincoln Laboratory and SAGE, America’s first air defense system”.

Memberships:

Air Force Association American Ordnance Association American Physical Society, Fellow Association of Cambridge Scientists Cosmos Club Federation of American Scientists Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Institute of Radio Engineers, Senior member Lexington Democratic Club Society of Chief Sorcerers and Apprentices (Air Force Chief Scientists and Executive Officers) Society of Sigma Xi, Fellow The State Club

Consulting:

Capital for Technical Industries, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., Director Electronic Space Structures Corp., W. Concord, Mass. Electronic Teaching labs. Inc, Washington, DC International Business Machines Corp, Washington, DC Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, Mass. Melpar Inc., Falls Church, Va, 10/58 to 1/59. Sprague Electric Corp. System Development Corp, Research Advisory Committee, Santa Monica, Calif. The Northrop Corp., Beverley Hills, Calif. The United Aircraft Corp., East Hartford, Conn US Navy, Operations Evaluation Group

Books Edited:

Blackburn, JF ed. (1949) Components Handbook, editorial staff: GE Valley et al., Radiation Lab. Series, v. 17. Soller, T, Starr, MA, and Valley, GE, eds. (1948) Cathode Ray Tube Displays, editorial staff: GE Valley et al., Radiation Lab. Series, v. 22, McGraw Hill, N.Y. 746p. Valley, GE and Wallman, H, eds. (1948) Vacuum Tube Amplifiers, editorial staff: GE Valley et al., Radiation Lab. Series v. 18, McGraw Hill, N.Y. 743p. Van Voorhis, SN, ed. (1948) Microwave Receivers, editorial staff: GE Valley et al., Radiation Lab. Series, v. 23.

Scientific Articles:

Buch, JH, Strain, CV and Valley, GE (1937) Resonance Transmutation of Se34 by protons, Phys. Rev. 57:1012A. Barnes, SW and Valley George (1938) A Long Period Activity (Zn65) Induced in Cu. Phys.Rev. 53:946A. Valley, GE and McCreary, RL (1939) The Internally Converted Gamma Rays of Several Radioactive Elements. Phys. Rev., v 56, no. 9. Hill, JE and Valley, GE (1939) A Study of Radioactive Be7. Phys Rev. 55:678A. Valley, GE and McCreary RL (1939) Internal Conversion of Electrons from Br80. Phys Rev. v. 55, n. 7, p. 666. Valley, GE (1939) Magnetic Spectrograph Investigation of N13 Gamma Radiation. Phys Rev. v. 56, n. 8, p. 838-39. Valley, GE and McCreary, RL (1939) The Internally Converted Gamma Rays of Several Radioactive Elements. Phys Rev. v. 56, n. 9, p. 863-871. Valley, GE (1940) Abundance of Molybdenum Isotopes, Phys. Rev. 57:1058A. Valley, GE (1941) The Stable Isotopes of Nickel. Phys. Rev., v 59, n. 10, p. 836-837. Valley, GE (1941) Internal Conversion in Rhenium. Phys. Rev. 59:686A. Valley, GE (1941) Internal conversion in Mercury. Phys. Rev. 59:167A. Valley, GE and Anderson, HH (1941) The Relative Abundance of the Stable Isotopes of Terrestrial and Meteoritic Iron. Phys. Rev. v. 59, p. 113A Valley, GE (1947) The Radioactive Decay of Slow Positive and Negative Mesons. Phys. Rev. v 72, n. 9, 772-783. Valley, GE and Anderson, HH (1947) A Comparison of the Abundance Ratios of Terrestrial and Meteoritic Iron. J. Am. Chem. Soc. v. 69, p. 1871-75. Valley, GE and Rossi, B (1948) On the Mean Life of Negative Mesons. Phys. Rev., v. 73, n. 2, p. 177-178. Chu, FH and Valley, GE (1948) On Cloud Chamber Valves. Rev of Scientific Instruments. v. 19, n. 8, p. 496-499 Valley, GE and Vitale, JA (1949) A counter controllable high pressure cloud chamber, Rev of Scientific Instruments, v. 20, n. 6, p. 411-423. Valley, GE, Leavitt, and Vitale, JA (1949) Cloud Chamber Evidence of Meson-nucleus Interaction. Phys Rev. v. 75, n. 1, p. 201-203. Rossi, B, Anderson, CD, Oppenheimer, JR, Valley, GE and Sard, RD (1949) Discussion on the disintegration and Nuclear Absorption of Mesons. Rev of Modern Physics, v 21, n. 1, 31-37. Valley, GE (1953 or1957/8?) Some Considerations Affecting Interpretation of Reports of Unidentified Flying Objects, Interpretation of Reports of Unidentified Flying Objects, Project “SIGN” No. F-TR-2274-1A, App. C, p 898-904.

Patents:

“Indicating System”, Patent #2,455,283, filed Nov. 4, 1944, issued Nov. 30, 1948, automatically changes scale of radar display as aircraft approaches. “Pulse Generator”, Patent #2,605,404, filed Oct. 9, 1945, issued July 29, 1952, first sub-microsecond pulse generator. “Recording Plan Position Indicator”, Patent #2,637,846, filed Sept. 14, 1945, issued May 5, 1953, records position of aircraft, etc from radar signal. “Two Station Navigation System”, Patent #2,763,857, filed Nov. 15, 1945, issued Sept. 8, 1956, determines the position of an airplane with radio signals from two known ground stations.

Articles About Science:

Valley, GE (1956) Air Traffic Control- Implications of SAGE. Air Force Magazine, Mar., 1956, p. 111-12, 114. Valley, GE (1958) Data Processing in Air Defense Systems. Astronautics. p. 42-44, 122. Valley, GE (1961) Science is Not Magic. Air Force and Space Digest, Dec., 1961, p. 50-53, 55. Valley, GE (1985) How the SAGE development began. Annals of the History of Computing, v. 7, p. 196-226. Valley, GE (1995) How not to make a Stradivarius: Comment, The American Scholar, summer, Spring 1995, v 64, no.2, p. 318-319.

Unpublished Reports:

Valley, GE (Feb. 16, 1943) Minutes of Conference on Radar Bombing, Radiation Lab. Valley, GE (1944) Diary of GE Valley. OSRD London Mission, 39 p. Details Jan. 4-28, visits, inspections, and lectures to 8th Air Force units using H2X in England, unclassified Oct. 25, 1965. Valley, GE (Feb. 18, 1944) Recommendations Concerning USA Radar Bombing, 3p. Valley, GE (Sept/Oct. 1945) “Defense Against the Atomic Bomb”, Supplement to Rad. Lab. Contribution to AAf ASG Report, now declassified from “Secret”, 5 p. Concludes that the best defense against the atomic bomb is a world-wide agreement to out-law their manufacture. DuBridge, LA, Purcell, EM, Valley, GE (Dec. 15, 1945) Radar - A Discussion of Trends of Interest to the Army Air Forces: Supplement - Defense Against the Atomic Bomb. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, Studies Toward New Horizons series. Valley, GE et al. (May 1, 1950) Progress Report on the Air Defense Systems Engineering Committee, SAB, declassified Oct. 1965, “last report of the Valley Committee”. Astin, Valley et al. (May 24, 1950) Electronic and Control system Proposals for the 1054 Interceptor, SAB Report. Valley, GE (1951) The Ground-Wave Radar, AppIV-2, 7p.; CW Systems, App. IV-4, 18p.; Cost Estimates for a Centralized AC+W System, App. IV-5, 8p.: Final Report of Project Charles: Problems of Air Defense. Valley, GE (1956) Operational Applications of SAGE, 23p. Valley, GE (1957) How to Carry out the Recommendations of the Curtis Committee on Air Traffic Control, 11p. Valley, GE et al. (Sept. 17, 1959) Infra-red Countermeasures for the B-70. SAB Report. Ashley, Valley, et al. (Nov. 1960) Space Counter Weapons Systems. SAB Report. Stever, Valley, et al. (May 1961) Utilization of Scientific Resources. SAB Report. Doolittle, RA, Valley, GE, et al. (Dec. 1962) Strategic Concepts. SAB Report. Valley, GE (1963) “Are We Running Out of Things to Do?”, to SAB, Oct. 8, 1963, 10 p. Latter, Valley, et al. (Jan. 1964) RTD Laboratories. SAB Report. Valley, GE, et al. (June 7, 1966) Evaluation of the Defense Communications Agency Ad hoc Study of the Advanced Communications Satellite Project. Valley, GE and Stuart, WA (1968) The Freshman Year at M.I.T.: Classes of 1968, 1969, 1970, 401p. Valley, GE (1968) “I Became a Freshman”, 50p. Unpbl book draft on education reform, JWV has copy. Valley, GE, ed (~1970) How to Teach Yourself Physics. MIT Experimental Studies Group manual for freshmen. Valley, GE (1973) Physics 8.02 Introduction to Electricity and Magnetism. ~120p. Valley, GE (1974) My Years at the MIT Experimental Studies Group: Some Old Facts and New Myths. 58 p. Valley, GE (1978) Two Dimensional Spring Oscillators. Valley, GE (1983) The Floating Zone Method of Growing Crystals. Valley GE (1983) Heating Coil. Valley, GE (1985-87) Status of the Valley Family Genealogy. 7 Reports: June 10, 1985, July 25, 1985, __, __, May 26, 1986, Sept. 12, 1986, Nov. 12, 1987. Valley, GE (1986) The Relative speeds of Various Digital Computers. Valley, GE (1987) What I Find Useful to Know about RS232 Valley, GE (1990) Aneroid Barometers. Valley, GE (1991) What I Remember About The Professor Business.

Speeches:

“Atomic Energy”, Dec., 1945, Bond Astronomical Society, partially transcribed by H. Nichols in Christian Science Monitor Jan. 5, 1946. “The Philosophy of Air Defense”, Nov. 2, 1952. “What Makes Air Defense”, Nov. 12, 1952. “SAGE and the Lincoln Laboratory”, Feb. 2, 1956, The Jet Age Conference of the Air Force Association. “Operational Applications of SAGE”, June 6, 1956, Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics Meeting, Boston. “Where Shall We Look For the Next Breakthrough?”, Dec. 10, 1967, Aircraft Luncheon Club, Washington DC. “Early Warning” , Jan. 29, 1958, Inst. Of Aeronautical Sciences, New York, NY. “The Future of Manned Aircraft”, Feb. 26, 1858, Jet Age Conference of the Air Force Assoc. Washington DC. Mar. 28, 1958, The Slide Rule Dinner, Univ. of Detroit. “Electronics in Missles and Spacecraft”, April 8, 1958, Inst. Of Aeronautical Sciences, Washington, DC. April 26, 1958, Air Force Assoc., Los Angeles, CA Aug. 27, 1958, Graduation Address, Air Force Inst. of Technology Sept. 16, 1958 American Rocket Society, Detroit, Mich. “Science is Not Magic”, Seminar on Aerospace Education, Air force Assoc. Convention, Philadelphia, Sept. 22, 1961 “What Does Automatic Mean?”, Mar. 19, 1962, to Sigma Xi Society, Princeton, N.J.

Selected Letters:

Nov. 1949, To Dr. Theodor von Karman, proposes formation of ADSEC, first proposal of what became the SAGE system. Dec. 15, 1950, To Dr. James R. Killian, Dr. Julius A. Stratton, et al., presents the case for MIT to establish Lincoln Lab. Jan. 22, 1958, to Sir William Lyons, Chrm. Jaguar Cars, Ltd., regarding deficiencies of his 1956 Model 2.4 Jaguar Sedan, very humorous. Jan. 1, 1987, to Concord Journal, “Tough Questions”, excoriates Concord selectmen on real estate development.

Unpublished Fiction:

Valley, GE (~1975) Two Souls. 145,000 words.

Articles About GEV:

Air Force Magazine, May 1953, “The Truth About Our Air Defense”, 25-29, 34, 36 Newsweek, Jan. 30, 1956, “The Master Mind”, p. 88-89, credits GEV as “the inventor of SAGE” which is “the world’s fastest and brightest computer”. Technology Review, Mar. 1956, “SAGE Aircraft Defense”, p. 230, 264, 266. Fortune, Feb. 1958, “The Pentagon and the Research Crisis”, p. 134-35, 153-54, 158, 160. Armed Forces Management, April 1958, “Pentagon Profile: Dr. George E. Valley, Chief Scientist”, p. 19. Technology Review (MIT), July, 1997. A Perspective on Change, p 1-5, interview of Paul Gray with description of GEV role in education reform at MIT. New York Times, Oct. 30, 1999, “Helped Build Nation’s Radar Air Defenses”, obituary.

Books Describing GEV:

Buderi, Robert (1996) The Invention that Changed the World, Simon and Schuster, 575p, detailed account of H2X development. Freeman, Eva (1995) MIT Lincoln Laboratory: Technology in the National Interest. Nimrod Press, 290p. Jacobs, John F. (1986) The Sage Air Defense System. MITRE Corp. 263p. Describes GEV role in SAGE, calls him “Father of Sage” p 100, Ch 20 is titled “George Valley” and contains an insightful personal description. MIT (1946) Five Years at the Radiation Laboratory. Andover Press, 205p, unofficial history, contains pictures of: GEV reading a thriller, leading a meeting, and designing a radar component; and early H2X images. JWV has original prints. Redmond, KC and Smith, TM (1980) Project Whirlwind: The history of a Pioneer Computer. Digital Press. 280p. Describes GEV role in promoting and managing the development of Whirlwind. Sturm, Thomas A. (1967) The USAF Scientific Advisory Board: Its First 20 Years. US Govt. Printing Off. 194p. Details formation and activities of SAB. App. Lists committees, reports, and membership.

Oral Histories of GEV:

Andy Goldstein (1991) Radiation Lab Oral-History Project, Center for the History of Electrical engineering, IEEE, Rutgers Univ., transcribed to 85 typed pages. GEV edited some of this and was not satisfied with its accuracy. JWV has his comments. Bob Buderi ( ) Cambridge MA, 8 hours of interview on tape as part of research on his book, see above. BBC (1998) Interviewed for 1 hour show on radar, not broadcast. JWV has edited written transcript. The History Channel (1996) Modern Marvels of Radar, one hour broadcast and VCR tape, interviews GEV about WWII.

JWV- Mar. 4, 2001