Eugene W. Boehne
- Birthdate
- 1905/06/02
- Birthplace
- Laramie, WY, USA
- Associated organizations
- General Electric (GE), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, I-T-E Imperial Corporation
- Fields of study
- Power
- Awards
- IEEE William M. Habirshaw Award
Biography
Dr. Eugene Wheelock Boehne was born in Laramie, Wyoming on June 2, 1905. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M College in 1926, a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1928, and his Doctor's degree in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M College in 1948.
Dr. Boehne was employed by the General Electric Company from September 1926 until March 1947. He became Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering of Massachusetts Institute of Technology in March 1947 and was a full professor from July 1950 until July 1960. At that time he joined the I-T-E Imperial Corporation as a consultant on research and development.
During his years with General Electric Dr. Boehne was engaged in a variety of engineering work. He received the first General Electric Coffin Award for the development of 287 kV oil breakers for the Boulder Dam-Los Angeles Line. He made significant contributions in the fields of lightning protection, current limiting fuses, capacitor switching, and the science of circuit interruption. At General Electric he taught the General Course in Electrical Engineering. This experience led to his move to MIT as a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Administrator of the Cooperaitive Engineering Program.
Active in the former AIEE and IEEE, Dr. Boehne served as Chairman of the Philadelphia Section 1963-64, and received the Philadelphia Section Award for 1969. He has written more than 38 important technical papers, and he is known to many IEEE audiences for his illustrated talk, "NATURE, ART and ARITHMETIC." Dr. Boehne has been a member of the Science and Arts Committee of the Franklin Institute since 1942, and he has served as a United States representative to the International Conference on Large Electric High Tension Systems (CIGRE).
Dr. Boehne, a Fellow of the IEEE, was a Registered Professional Engineer. He is a member of Tau Beta Pi, Sigma Xi and Eta Kappa Nu. In 1937 he received Honorable Mention from Eta Kappa Nu as "Outstanding Young Electrical Engineer."
Since his retirement from I-T-E Imperial Corporation Dr. Boehne spent much of his time with his three children-Gene, Jr., Betsy, and Bill, who all lived in Boston. For the winter months he occupied a condominium in Siesta Key, Sarasota, Florida. He remained active in the IEEE, CIGRE and the Science and Arts Committee of the Franklin Institute.
Photo gallery
Boehne c. 1936
