Harold A. Rosen
Biography
Harold A. Rosen was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on March 20, 1926. He earned his B.E. degree from Tulane University in 1947. A year later he was awarded the M.S. degree in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. He received the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the same Institute in 1951.
Dr. Rosen began his career in 1948 with Raytheon Manufacturing Company. He joined Hughes Aircraft Company in 1956 and participated in the development of high-power, wide-band airborne radars, including transmitters, tracking antennas and system design. Dr. Rosen conceived and directed the construction of Syncom - the world's first synchronous communications satellite. Later in his career, he provided technical direction for the development of the Advanced Syncom, which became the Applications Technology Satellite. ATS-I continues to perform after more than 15 years in space.
Now, as Vice President of Engineering for Hughes Aircraft Company's Space and Communications Group, Dr. Rosen oversees the development of communication satellites that are to Syncom what modern jet liners are to Kitty Hawk.
In 1976, Dr. Rosen was the first recipient of the L.M. Ericsson International Prize for outstanding contributions to telecommunications research and engineering. The award, given every three years, was presented to him by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. With 31 U.S. patents and many published papers to his credit, Dr. Rosen has been honored with numerous awards for outstanding achievements during his career.
He has been presented with the Astronautics Engineer Award from the National Space Club; the Golden Plate Award at the American Academy of Achievement's "Gathering of the Great" in Texas; the Communications Award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics; and an Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Dr. Rosen is a Fellow of IEEE and a member of the National Academy of Engineering.
A water enthusiast, Dr. Rosen jogs on the beach near his home in Santa Monica, California. He has two sons, Robert, 32, and Rocky, 16. Family outings include such sports as skiing, scuba diving, windsurfing and an occasional 10-kilometer race.
Dr. Rosen won the 1982 IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal "For pioneering contributions to, and leadership in, geostationary communications satellites."
