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J O H N R. P I E R C E
1910 –2002
Elected in 1965
“Leading electronics engineer and satellite communications expert.”
BY EDWARD E. DAVID
JOHN PIERCE, the “father” of modern communication
satellites, died in April 2002. Three of his former colleagues
wrote the following: “Above all, John Pierce was a man of
strict integrity. He knew the difference between speculation,
wishful thinking, and factual evidence. Pretence was not his
way. These principles permeated his life, his contributions to
science and technology, and his person. We will not often see
his kind again.” 1
John Pierce was born March 27, 1910, in Des Moines, Iowa.
He attended the California Institute of Technology, where he
studied electrical engineering, earning a bachelor’s degree in
1933, master’s degree in 1934, and doctorate in 1936. He began
working as an engineer for Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill,
New Jersey in 1936.
Pierce’s career at Bell Telephone Laboratories lasted more
than 35 years. He became director of electronics research in 1952
and research director of communications principles in 1958,
and held the position of executive director, research,
communication division upon his departure in 1971. His
John Robinson Pierce 1910-2002, A Biographical Memoir by Edward E. David, Jr.,
1
Max V. Mathews, and A. Michael Noll
195
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196 MEMORIAL TRIBUTES
devotion to Bell Labs was based on the organization’s integrity
and focus in developing the performance and scholarship of
each individual. This principle reinforced his personal
philosophy of strict ethics. He would have been distressed at
the outcome of the federal lawsuit that broke up the Bell System
and eventually fragmented Bell Labs, which is no longer the
Goliath of research.
After retirement from Bell Labs, Pierce joined the California
Institute of Technology (Cal Tech), his alma mater, where he
spent the rest of his career in productive work and imaginative
research, especially on computer music and sound perception.
During this time, he was also chief technologist of Jet Propulsion
Labs, a leader in space research in which he had a lasting
interest.
In the 1980s, Pierce arrived at Stanford’s Center for Computer
Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) to pursue his
longtime interests in computer music and psychoacoustics. He
held the title of visiting professor of music, emeritus, and
“visited” for more than 12 years, bringing intellectual and
much-needed financial support to the center.
John Pierce was the originator and developer of technologies
that set the stage for the “digital revolution” and was
instrumental in the development of early communications
satellites, such as Echo and Telstar. But he always gave credit
to Arthur C. Clarke, whose proposal preceded the concrete
steps leading to the demonstration of actual satellite
communications, which were performed by Pierce’s colleagues
at Bell Labs. Among the technological inventions and realizations
in which Pierce had a hand (with Shannon and Oliver) was
pulse-code modulation (PCM), which set the stage for the so-
called digital revolution. Pierce originated and developed high-
frequency microwave amplifiers in the form of travelling-wave
tubes, reflex klystrons, and electron-multiplier tubes, which for
many years were main components in electronics systems.
His many prizes and awards included the National Medal
of Science, Japan Prize, and IEEE Medal of Honor, and he shared
the prestigious Charles Stark Draper Prize with communications
satellite collaborator Harold Rosen. He held 10 honorary
doctoral degrees, in addition to his own “earned” one. He
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197
JOHN R. PIERCE
participated in many NAE activities, as well as studies for
federal government agencies and the White House Office of
Science and Technology.
But Pierce was not all business. He loved to write fiction,
and he published several imaginative studies under the
pseudonym J. J. Coupling (after a physics concept). He was also
a musician, both performer and composer. He was involved in
early computer music and concerts, including recordings for
playback. John was extremely creative; for example, he coined
the word “transistor” to name the first solid-state amplifier. He
was also an inventor; he held more than 80 significant patents,
and many of his inventions are still in use.
Less tangible, but of prime significance, Pierce had the ability
to lead and inspire people, especially engineers and scientists.
In 1977, he received the National Academy of Engineering
Founders Award for his scholarship “in documenting the
disciplines involved [in the above contributions] and authoring
treatises to encourage learning and accomplishment.” He
always considered himself an engineer, although he recognized
that science was a necessary handmaiden.
John Pierce’s example highlights the importance of individual
contributions to engineering research and innovation.
Pierce is survived by his wife Brenda Woodard-Pierce of
Palo Alto; a son, John Jeremy Pierce of Bloomfield, NJ; and a
daughter, Elizabeth Anne Pierce of Summit, NJ.
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