Oral-History:George E. Valley
About George E. Valley, Jr.
Andrew Goldstein conducted an oral history of George E. Valley, Jr. (1913-1999), on June 13, 1991, as part of the MIT Radiation Laboratory Oral History Project. Following Dr. Valley’s wishes, the transcript has not been published, but the IEEE History Center retains a file copy of the interview.
George E. Valley, Jr., studied at MIT and at the University of Rochester, where Lee A. DuBridge served as his thesis advisor. In 1941 Valley left his position as a National Research Fellow at Harvard to contribute to the war effort at MIT’s Radiation Lab. He initially worked on anti-aircraft and the SCR-584 radar, subsequently investigating the use radar for bombsights. He put the H2X system into production — more a political and administrative triumph than a technical one, in Valley’s estimation. The H2X did not improve bombing accuracy because Air Force planes were forced to fly in unwieldy formations to defend against the Germans, but it did allow for bombing through cloud-cover. In the late 1940s, Valley worked to record the Radiation Lab’s wartime work as an editor of the MIT Radiation Lab series.
Dr. Valley joined the faculty of MIT as a professor of physics in 1946. His work on the use of digital computers for air defense led to the formation of the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, where Valley served leadership roles from 1949 to 1957. Valley then served as Chief Scientist of the Air Force, 1957-58. In 1969 he established the Experimental Study Group, a residential community for beginning MIT students which celebrated its fortieth anniversary in 2009.
Valley was selected a fellow of the American Physical Society and of the IEEE. Governmental recognition for his work included the the President’s Certificate of Merit, the Air Force Association of Science Award, the USAF Exceptional Civilian Service Medal, and the U.S. Army Certificate of Appreciation.
About the Interview
GEORGE E. VALLEY, JR.: An interview conducted by Andrew Goldstein, Center for the History of Electrical Engineering, June 13, 1991.
Oral History #98: M.I.T. Radiation Laboratory Oral History Project sponsored by the Center for the History of Electrical Engineering, The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Copyright Statement
This material is being made available for research purposes only. All literary rights in the manuscript, including the right to publish, are reserved to the IEEE History Center. No part of the manuscript may be quoted for publication without the written permission of the Director of IEEE History Center.
Request for permission to quote for publication should be addressed to the IEEE History Center Oral History Program, Rutgers - the State University, 39 Union Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8538 USA. It should include identification of the specific passages to be quoted, anticipated use of the passages, and identification of the user.
It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows:
George E. Valley, an oral history conducted in 1991 by Andrew Goldstein, Center for the History of Electrical Engineering, IEEE, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
