Thayer School
Tom Judd EE'62: "AS I recall I got the DSE prize for my thesis on an application of pulse modulation techniques to an optical communication system under the direction of Professor AlWood (1948-1970). I was able to construct a working system using a pair of xenon flash tubes as the transmitter, but the working range was only about three feet.
"The project did introduce me to some basic principles of communications systems and I found the field sufficiently interesting to pursue it further at Northwestern, where I earned an MSEE degree in 1963. My thesis work there was concerned with the polyphase generation of single-sideband signals.
"After Northwestern I joined Bell Laboratoiries as a member of technical staff in the Data Communications Division. I have been concerned with the circuit design of low-speed data sets, and data applications of TOUCH-TONE®. I am presently doing circuit design work on performance monitoring equipment for digital data multiplexers.
"As you can see, the introduction to communications which I received from that project at Thayer School led directly into my present work as a, data communications circuit designer.
"There are two things which I remember vivid- ly about that project. The first is that, when the circuit finally worked after several weeks of tinkering, I was so excited that I placed both hands directly across the B+ power supply with shocking effect. The second is that the $50 check which I received as my DSE Prize "bounced" when 1 tried to cash it. It took several longdistance calls to the Thayer School office to strighten it out!"
Harold A. Stiles CE'15: "The most interesting engineering job I have been on was a bad piece of engineering. It was my first year out of Thayer and the mistake came about from taking a foun- dation design for a 250 foot concrete chimney for one site and using it on another without testing the soil! The result was a chimney that began leaning before it was completed and had to be topped off at 219 feet with the foundation ringed with radial buttresses. It still leans several feet from the vertical but is still functioning."
Robert M. Helsell TT'60, was named president and chief executive officer of Automix Keyboards, Inc., of Bellvue, Wash. He is also managing partner of Wright Schuchart Co., of Seattle. On the civic side he serves as treasurer and trustee of the Seattle Children's Home, is on the board of trustees of the Lakeside School and is a member of the City Council of the Town of Hunt's Point. Helsell has also been a guest lecturer at the School of Business Administration of the University of Washington.
Robert W. Huiskamp BE'71, received an MB.A. from Northwestern University's Business School.
Bill Woodson ME'57: "Marty Anderson's letter in your January Alumni Magazine column accurately described the contributions George Taylor has made to his students.
"In addition George's contributions have not ceased with the graduation of the student. He un- selfishly has devoted hours responding to telephone calls and letters from former students all over the world, providing the same encouragement as he did in the classroom and generally exceeding their expectations.
"George's abilty to individualize his instruction, his sincere interest to learn from each classroom experience, and take the time to make the next class even more effective has resulted in his students being able to successfully apply his concepts long after graduation.
"It is sad that George is going to retire. But I hope Thayer School will continue his courses. Not to do so would represent an enormous loss to the overall curriculum and to the Thayer students."
(Bill attended the NYU Graduate School of Business and is a division controller, doing administrative work, in the Warner-Lambert Co. of Morris-Plains, N.J.; their products are chemicals, drugs, etc.).
Lindley "Dip" Hall CE'59, has successfully completed the specialty certification examination given by the Environmental Engineering Intersociety Board and now has the rank of Diplomate in the American Academy of Environmental Engineers.
John F. McKeon TT'49, has been appointed group manager of FMC Corporation's Link-Belt Power Transmission Divisions.
With headquarters in Indianapolis, he will have responsibilty for FMC's Link-Belt Enclosed Drive Division, Philadelphia. In addition, he will be responsible for the field sales, distributor sales and product distribution activities for the three divisions.
John came to FMC from American Standard Inc.
Gleanings from a Recent Alumni Questionnaire:
"Time is a great healer. Even traumatic Thayer experiences now seem to have been worthwhile."
"Thayer was the most enjoyable and rewarding experience of my life!"
"The pressure of a thesis deadline prepared me best for the 'real' world."
"The Tuek-Thayers were neither fish nor fowl. We were stepchildren at both Tuck and Thayer."
Dana E. Low CE'55, has become a general partner in the world-wide engineering, architectural and consulting firm of Tippetts-Abbett-McCarthy-Stratton (TAMS), which, in addition to its New York City headquarters, maintains offices on six continents, in 16 countries, and 25 cities.
Dana heads the Department of Transportation Planning and Economics for TAMS. He is responsible for traffic engineering, tranmsportation systems analysis, regional and urban land use. and transportation planning, and transport economic feasibility studies concerned with highways, transit, marine and air travel.
He has had articles published in such professional journals as Traffic Engineering,Traffic Quarterly, Transportation EngineeringJournal, Highway Research Record, CivilEngineer.
He is also Chairman of the Committee on Highway Planning and Economics of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
(According to The New York Times, TAMS will plan and design a modern nationwide rail and highway system for Poland during the next three years.)
The Tuck School column sometimes included on these pages will be omitted due to the recent issue of Tuck Today, the new Tuck Alumni Magazine published twice a year. Dartmouth alumni interested in receiving a copy of Tuck Today are encouraged to write to: Director of Alumni Affairs Amos Tuck School Hanover, New Hampshire 03755 with a request for the fall or the upcoming spring issues. The magazine will be forwarded at no charge when order is received.
