Ivan Getting

Ivan Alexander Getting was an American physicist and electrical engineer who made important contributions to technology that changed how we find our way. He was born on January 18, 1912, in New York City and grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Merton College, Oxford.

During the Second World War, Getting helped develop a special system that could track enemy airplanes. This work was important because it helped protect cities like London from attacks.

Getting, along with two other scientists, Roger L. Easton and Bradford Parkinson, is credited with creating the Global Positioning System, or GPS. This system lets us find exact locations anywhere in the world using satellites. His work has had a big impact on many areas, from military operations to everyday maps we use on phones.

After the war, Getting held many important positions in science and engineering. He became the founding President of The Aerospace Corporation in 1960, a group that helps advance technology for national security. Later, he served as President of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a group that supports engineering and technology progress.

Death

Ivan Getting passed away on October 11, 2003, in Coronado, California. He was 91 years old.

Major technical and administrative contributions

Ivan Getting helped create important technology during World War II. His team built a special radar system called the SCR 584. This radar helped protect London from missiles called V-1 flying bombs that Germany launched. The radar made it easier to shoot these missiles down before they could cause harm.

Getting also played a big role in creating the Global Positioning System, or GPS, which helps us find places anywhere in the world. He worked on many other important projects too, like building fast electronic parts, designing systems to guide missiles, and helping plan new ways to defend the country. His work had a lasting impact on technology and safety.

Major awards and recognitions

Ivan Getting received many important awards for his work. He was made a Fellow of the American Physical Society in 1941 and received the Medal for Merit from the President of the United States in 1948. Other notable awards include the Air Force Exceptional Service Award in 1960, the IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Pioneer Award in 1975, and the IEEE Founders Medal in 1989.

He was also honored with the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service in 1997 and the John Fritz Medal in 1998. Getting was inducted into the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame and the San Diego Aerospace Museum's International Aerospace Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2003, he shared the National Academy of Engineering Charles Stark Draper Prize with Bradford Parkinson. He was later added to the National Inventors Hall of Fame and, in 2011, was named one of the top 150 innovators from MIT on the MIT150 list.