JOHN VINCENT ATANASOFF
PERSONAL
BORN 4
October, 1903, Hamilton, New York
FATHER Ivan (John) Atanasoff, born 1876,
Bulgaria, emigrated to USA 1889, married 1900; B.Ph. Colgate University 1900;
electrical engineer; died 1956
MOTHER Iva Lucena Purdy, born 1881; school
teacher (mathematics); died 1983.
SIBLINGS Ten, of whom eight survive: John,
Ethelyn, Margaret, Theodore, Avis, Raymond, Melva, Irving.
FAMILY Married Alice
Crosby, 1949; three children: Elsie, Joanne, John Vincent II; ten grandchildren
ADDRESS
P.O. Box 503, Frederick, Maryland 21701.
EDUCATION
HIGH SCHOOL Mulberry,
Florida 1920
BSEE University of Florida, Gainesville 1925
MS, Mathematics
PhD, Theoretical Physics University of Wisconsin, Madison 1930
Thesis title:
"The Dielectric Constant of Helium"
Research adviser: Professor
John H. Van Vleck
Committee (Van Vleck was in Europe): Professors Wentzel,
Weaver, March, Mendenhall and Ingersoll.
PROFESSIONAL
OCCUPATION
Mathematical Physicist, Inventor, Businessman
POSITION Phosphate prospector
1920-21
Gainesville H.S., Teacher, Head of Science Dept. 1925-26
Iowa
State College, Mathematics, Graduate Assistant and Instructor, 1926-29
University
of Wisconsin, Mathematics, Instructor 1929-30
Iowa State College, Mathematics
and Physics
Assistant Professor 1930-36
Assistant Professor 1936-42
Professor in Absenia 1942-45
US Naval Ordnance Lab., Washington, D.C.
Chief, Acoustics Section 1942-45
Chief, Acoustics Division 1945-48
US
Army Field Forces, Ft. Monroe,
VA, Chief Scientist 1949
Naval Ordinance
Lab., Director, Fuse Program 1949-52
The Ordnance Eng. Corp., Frederick,
MD
(sold to Aerojet Gen. Corp. 1957)
Founder, President, Director 1952-57
Aerojet General Corp., Frederick, MD
Manager, Athlantic Div 1957-59, Vice Pres.
1959-61
Cybernetics, Inc., Frederick, MD, President 1961-80
CONSULTANT
Steward-Warner Corp. 1961-63
Control Data Corp. 1967-71
Honeywell 1967-71
PATENTS
32
MAJOR INVENTION
Electronic Digital Computer 1936-42
MEMBERSHIPS Phi
Beta Kappa
Phi Kappa Phi
Sigma Tau
Pi Mu Epsilon
Tau Beta Pi
Sigma Xi
Cosmos Club
American Assoc. for the Advancement of Science
Foreign Member, Bulgarian Academy of Science
Honorary member, Computer Medicine
Society
1995 - John Atanasoff died at 91, spending a long and exceptionally
fruitful life.
