Military research

In this interview Charles A. "Bert" Fowler discusses topics such as: Richard Garwin, Luis Alvarez, President's Science Advisory Committee (PSAC), Alain Enthoven, Military Aircraft Panel, military intelligence.This interview is part of a collection of interviews on the life and work of Richard Garwin. To see all associated interviews, click here.

Effect of Sputnik on Navy research and development, position as Chief Scientist of the Advanced Research Projects Agency, and selection to be the first Director for Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E). Origins of DDR&E, its relationship with the services, and the uniformed Navy’s success in keeping R&D projects under control. DDR&E’s contacts with high level government officials, major trends and problems encountered as DDR&E, management style. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara’s effect on centralization of the armed forces, DDR&E and the general growth of bureaucracy, reasons for leaving DDR&E. Effect of increased R&D on the escalation of the arms race and trends in technology. Review of his career, background experience, including the Manhattan Project, Livermore Laboratory, advisory committees; Chief Scientist, Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), 1958; Director Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E); reasons for and problems involved with the establishment of the DDR&E.

Robert Haun managed research programs leading to both commercial and military laser applications at Westinghouse's Research Laboratory. He discusses his early interest in optical pumping; constructing a pink ruby laser after Maiman announced his results; the Westinghouse study group on lasers as weapons; and research programs carried out on behalf of the Westinghouse Defense Division on laser materials and on flashlamps. He relates his group's unsuccessful attempt to interest the Westinghouse manufacturing divisions in a novel flashlamp design; the cut in personnel in the mid 1960s as the Department of Defense's interest in lasers temporarily diminished; his group's attempt to push various civilian applications; Westinghouse research on CO2 lasers; and work on nonlinear optical materials.

Fugate discusses his childhood; early interest in electronics and science; undergraduate education at Case Institute of Technology; Ph.D. in Physics from University of Iowa in 1970; employment at Wright Patterson AFB first as research physicist (1970-1972) and optics group leader (1972-1979); transfer to Kirtland AFB in 1979 as research physicist in optics and technical director of the Starfire Optical Range until 1995; since 1995, senior scientist for atmospheric compensation at Kirtland AFB; comments on graduate training and making transition to military research. Early research on lasers and laser detection; Involvement in adaptive optice (AO) research in early 1980s; AO research as part of Strategic Defense Initiative; role of JASON group; types of research done; effects of classification; competition in AO between Starfire and Lincoln Labs; acquisition of new facilities including 1.5 and 3.5 telescopes. Design features of the 3.5-meter telescope is discussed. Discussion of the declassification process of AO in the early 1990s. Current and future work in AO described by Fugate as well as future role of Starfire Optical Range.

Early education and career; graduate training at Caltech, with C.C. Lauritsen’s group; collaboration at the Kellogg Lab and structure of Caltech physics department after 1939, Relationships with Oppenheimer and Lauritsen. Fowler’s and Caltech’s war work, Lauritsen’s role in setting up Office of Naval Research for federally funded post-war research.

Early education and career; graduate training at Caltech, with C.C. Lauritsen’s group; collaboration at the Kellogg Lab and structure of Caltech physics department after 1939, Relationships with Oppenheimer and Lauritsen. Fowler’s and Caltech’s war work, Lauritsen’s role in setting up Office of Naval Research for federally funded post-war research.

Discusses his childhood and education in Illinois, undergrad and graduate work at Harvard; writing his thesis with Van Vleck; working at Bell Laboratoreis and the scientists there including William Shockley; the rise of interest in solid state physics in the early 1950s; research in superconductivity; the creation of theory groups at Bell Labs in 1956 and the relationship between theorists and experimenters in the lab; decisions on research topics at Bell; his year in Japan with Kubo; security restrictions at Bell and military research; collaborations with John Galt; experiments leading to localization of electrons in 1956-57; development of superconductivity theory; his visit to the Soviet Union in 1958; collaboration with Morel in 1961 on superconductivity; and research philosophy and approach to problems. Others prominently mentioned are: N. Bogolyubov; George Feher, V. Ginzburg, Gorkov, Charles Kittel, Lev Landau, David Pines, Harry Suhl, Gregory Wannier.

Discusses his childhood and education in Illinois, undergrad and graduate work at Harvard; writing his thesis with Van Vleck; working at Bell Laboratoreis and the scientists there including William Shockley; the rise of interest in solid state physics in the early 1950s; research in superconductivity; the creation of theory groups at Bell Labs in 1956 and the relationship between theorists and experimenters in the lab; decisions on research topics at Bell; his year in Japan with Kubo; security restrictions at Bell and military research; collaborations with John Galt; experiments leading to localization of electrons in 1956-57; development of superconductivity theory; his visit to the Soviet Union in 1958; collaboration with Morel in 1961 on superconductivity; and research philosophy and approach to problems. Others prominently mentioned are: N. Bogolyubov; George Feher, V. Ginzburg, Gorkov, Charles Kittel, Lev Landau, David Pines, Harry Suhl, Gregory Wannier.

Discusses his childhood and education in Illinois, undergrad and graduate work at Harvard; writing his thesis with Van Vleck; working at Bell Laboratoreis and the scientists there including William Shockley; the rise of interest in solid state physics in the early 1950s; research in superconductivity; the creation of theory groups at Bell Labs in 1956 and the relationship between theorists and experimenters in the lab; decisions on research topics at Bell; his year in Japan with Kubo; security restrictions at Bell and military research; collaborations with John Galt; experiments leading to localization of electrons in 1956-57; development of superconductivity theory; his visit to the Soviet Union in 1958; collaboration with Morel in 1961 on superconductivity; and research philosophy and approach to problems. Others prominently mentioned are: N. Bogolyubov; George Feher, V. Ginzburg, Gorkov, Charles Kittel, Lev Landau, David Pines, Harry Suhl, Gregory Wannier.

Discusses his childhood and education in Illinois, undergrad and graduate work at Harvard; writing his thesis with Van Vleck; working at Bell Laboratoreis and the scientists there including William Shockley; the rise of interest in solid state physics in the early 1950s; research in superconductivity; the creation of theory groups at Bell Labs in 1956 and the relationship between theorists and experimenters in the lab; decisions on research topics at Bell; his year in Japan with Kubo; security restrictions at Bell and military research; collaborations with John Galt; experiments leading to localization of electrons in 1956-57; development of superconductivity theory; his visit to the Soviet Union in 1958; collaboration with Morel in 1961 on superconductivity; and research philosophy and approach to problems. Others prominently mentioned are: N. Bogolyubov; George Feher, V. Ginzburg, Gorkov, Charles Kittel, Lev Landau, David Pines, Harry Suhl, Gregory Wannier.