Joseph Slepian

Biography

Abstract

Joseph Slepian was Associate Director of Research at Westinghouse Electric Corporation (1938-1956). Slepian was the inventor of the ignitro and other main stays of the electric power industry. While at Westinghouse, he came to be the holder of 204 patents.

Important Dates

February 11, 1891Birth, Boston (Mass.).

1911Obtained AB, Harvard University, Cambridge (Mass.).

1912Obtained AM, Harvard University, Cambridge (Mass.).

1913Obtained PhD in Mathematics, Harvard University, Cambridge (Mass.).

1913 – 1914Sheldon Traveling Fellow, University of Göttingen and University of Paris, Sorbonne.

1914 – 1915Instructor of Mathematics, Cornell University.

1915 – 1938Apprentice, Railway Motor Department (1915-1917); Member, Research Department (1917-1922); Head, General Research Section (1922-1926); and Research Consulting Engineer (1926-1938), Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh (Pa.).

1938 – 1956Associate Director, Research, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh (Pa.).

1941Member, National Academy of Sciences.

December 19, 1969Death, Swissvale (Pa.).

Occupation

Electrical engineer.

Places

Birth

Boston (Mass.)

Undergraduate Education

Cambridge (Mass.)

Graduate Education

Cambridge (Mass.)

Employment

Pittsburgh (Pa.)

Death

Swissvale (Pa.)

Subjects

Electrical engineering.

Electricity.

Physics -- Industrial applications.

Relationships

People

Family

Myerson, Rose

Wife. Married in 1918.

Slepian, David

Son.

Slepian, Robert Michael

Son.

Colleagues

Biondi, Manfred Anthony, 1924-

Both employed at Westinghouse Electric Corporation.

Bitter, Francis, 1902-1967

Both employed at Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company.

Condon, Edward Uhler, 1902-1974

Both employed at Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company.

Emmons, H. W. (Howard W.)

Both employed at Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company.

Frazer, Benjamin Chalmers

Both employed at Westinghouse Electric Corporation.

Goodenough, John B.

Both employed at Westinghouse Electric Corporation.

Holstein, Theodore David, 1915-1985

Both employed at Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company and Westinghouse Electric Corporation.

Hulm, John K.

Both employed at Westinghouse Electric Corporation.

Merritt, Ernest, 1865-1948

Both employed at Cornell University.

Mullins, William W.

Both employed at Westinghouse Electric Corporation.

Pake, G. E. (George Edward)

Both employed at Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company and Westinghouse Electric Corporation.

Schulz, George J., 1925-

Both employed at Westinghouse Electric Corporation.

Timoshenko, Stephen, 1878-1972

Both employed at Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company.

Additional

Waymouth, John F., 1926-

Institutions

Major Positions

Cornell University. Department of Mathematics

Instructor.

Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company

Apprentice, Railway Motor Department; Member, Research Department; Head, General Research Section; Research Consulting Engineer; and Associate Director, Research.

Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Associate Director, Research.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

Harvard University. Department of Mathematics

Obtained AB (1911), AM (1912), and PhD (1913).

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Member.

Universität Göttingen

Sheldon Traveling Fellow.

Universite de Paris IV: Paris-Sorbonne

Sheldon Traveling Fellow.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Joseph Slepian Dinner speech, 1956.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Subject

Oral history interview with John F. Waymouth, 2008 October 14.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Published Resources

Subject

"Joseph Slepian: 1891-1969", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences