Lawrence A. Hyland

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Lawrence A. "Pat" Hyland (born August 26, 1897 in Nova Scotia , Canada, † November 24, 1989 ) was an American electrical engineer who made significant contributions to the invention of radar . He is better known, however, as the person who developed the Howard Hughes craft workshop for aviation into a world-leading company for aerospace technologies, Hughes Aircraft .

Life

Hyland was born on August 26, 1897 on his grandfather's farm in Nova Scotia. His family moved shortly after he was born and he grew up in Melrose, Massachusetts . During the First World War he served in the US Army and from 1926 in the US Navy. Hyland later joined the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) as a radio technician . During this time, in 1930, he demonstrated the reflection of electromagnetic waves on an aircraft and made further contributions to the development of Doppler radar .

In 1932, Hyland formed a radio research company that later became the Bendix Corporation . Hyland eventually became vice president of research and technology at Bendix.

Hyland was appointed Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Hughes Aircraft in 1954 , and eventually became Chairman of the Board of Directors after Howard Hughes' death in 1976. Under the direction of Hyland, Hughes Aircraft was moved to new production areas and developed extremely profitably. Among other services, the company developed numerous radar systems , electro-optical systems, the first working LASER , avionics computers, missile systems, aircraft and many other advanced technologies. Hyland retired from active service in 1980 but remained in close contact with the company until his death.

During his lifetime, Hyland frequently advised the US government on science and technology issues.

At times he served as a senior advisor on the Presidential Advisory Committee, the US Atomic Energy Commission, and the Central Intelligence Agency . He was also a member of the US Defense Industry Council.

Awards

Hyland received the following honors and awards:

  • 1950 - A prestigious U.S. Navy public award for pioneering work in the development of radar
  • 1954 - Honorary Doctorate in Engineering from the Lawrence Institute of Technology
  • 1955 - appointed member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
  • 1957 - IEEE Pioneer Award for Aeronautical and Navigation Electronics
  • 1967 - Collier Trophy for the Surveyor  1 moon landing
  • 1967 - The Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association Gold Medal of Merit
  • 1974 - The Founders Medal of the IEEE for leadership and management in the field of electronics

Hyland's autobiography , Call Me Pat: The Autobiography of the Man Howard Hughes Chose to Lead Hughes Aircraft , was published posthumously in 1994.

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personal data
SURNAME Hyland, Lawrence A.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Hyland, LA; Hyland, Pat
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American electrical engineer
DATE OF BIRTH August 26, 1897
PLACE OF BIRTH Nova Scotia , Canada
DATE OF DEATH November 24, 1989