Misplaced Pages

Joseph Slepian
Born	11 February 1891 Boston, MA
Died	19 December 1969 (1969-12-20) (aged 78)
Alma mater	Harvard University (B.Sc.) (1911) Harvard University (M.Sc.) (1912) Harvard University (Ph.D.) (1913)
Awards	IEEE Edison Medal (1947)
Scientific career
Institutions	Cornell University

Joseph Slepian (February 11, 1891 – December 19, 1969) was an American electrical engineer known for his contributions to the developments of electrical apparatus and theory.

Born in Boston, MA of Jewish Russian immigrants, he studied mathematics at Harvard University, from which he was awarded a B.Sc. (1911), a M.Sc. (1912) and Ph.D. on the thesis On the Functions of a Complex Variable Defined by an Ordinary Differential Equation of the First Order and First Degree advised by George Birkhoff (1913). Meanwhile, he also worked at Boston Elevated Railway.

After his Ph.D., he became Sheldon fellow at University of Göttingen in Germany, was at University of Sorbonne in Paris, before becoming instructor of mathematics at Cornell University (1915). He joined Westinghouse Electric in East Pittsburgh (1916) in the railway motor department initially, moving to the research department (1917) at Forest Hills (PA) where he became head (1922), consulting engineer (1926) and associate director (1938–1956) and developed over two hundred patents. Slepian did significant groundwork for the betatron (1927). He received the IEEE Edison Medal (1947) for his work on the autovalve lightning arrester, deion circuit breaker, and ignitron.

He wrote over 120 articles and essays, and published the book Conductivity of electricity in gases (1933). His career was somewhat shortened by a stroke (1951). He was the father of the mathematician David Slepian.

Awards

• Fellow of AIEE 1927
• John Scott Medal 1932
• AIEE Lamme Medal 1942
• Westinghouse Order of Merit 1935
• French Officer de Academie 1939
• National Academy of Sciences elected member 1941
• Fellow of the Institute of Radio Engineers 1945
• IEEE Edison Medal 1947
• Honorary doctor of engineering Case Institute of Technology 1949
• Honorary doctor of science by the University of Leeds 1955

References

1. biography
2. biography from nap.edu
3. David Slepian-Scientist, engineer and inventor from IEEE Industry Applications Magazine, November/December 2000

External links

• A Biographical Memoir: Joseph Slepian 1891–1969.

• 1891 births
• 1969 deaths
• People from Boston
• 20th-century American mathematicians
• American people of Russian-Jewish descent
• University of Paris alumni
• Harvard University alumni
• Cornell University faculty
• American electrical engineers
• IEEE Edison Medal recipients
• Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences
• Manhattan Project people
• IEEE Lamme Medal recipients
• 20th-century American engineers
• 20th-century American inventors
• Fellows of the American Physical Society