James H. Mulligan

James H. Mulligan, Jr., IEEE President, 1971, was a member of the Combined Research Group of the Naval Research Laboratory, which developed the Mark V radar IFF system.

Biography

J. H. Mulligan. Jr. was born in New Jersey in 1920. He received the B.E.E. and E.E. degrees from the Cooper Union School of Engineering (1943, 1947) and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology and Columbia University in 1945 and 1948, respectively. He subsequently pursued additional graduate study in mathematics and physics at Columbia University and New York University. Dr. Mulligan is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the Cosmos Club, a Fellow of the IEEE and the Institute of Electrical Engineers (London) and a registered professional engineer.

His career includes engineering responsibilities in industrial, government and academic organizations. First employed as a member of the technical staff in the transmission development department of the Bell Telephone Laboratories, he next served in the Combined Research Group of the Naval Research Laboratory contributing to the development of the Mark V radar IFF system. At the conclusion of World War II he joined the Allen B. DuMont Laboratories where he was initially concerned with research and development of portable and studio television camera and video equipment; later he was chief engineer of the television transmitter division. From 1949 to 1968 Dr. Mulligan was a member of the faculty of the Department of Electrical Engineering at New York University, serving as Chairman of the Department from 1952 to 1968. He joined the staff of the National Academy of Engineering in 1961 as Secretary and Executive Officer- a full-time position he held until accepting his present post last summer as Dean of the School of Engineering: and Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of California, lrvine. He continues to serve as Secretary of the Academy, an elective office, on a part-time basis.

Jim Mulligan's participation in the IEEE and its predecessor, the AlEE and the IRE, extends continuously throughout his professional career of more than three decades. In the late 1940’s, and the 1950's he served in Section officer assignments as well as a member or chairman of numerous technical committees, including the IRE Standards Committee. In the early 1960's he was extremely active in IRE (and subsequently IEEE) technical activities, notably in the Professional Group on Circuit Theory. He served as Vice Chairman of the IEEE Technical Activities Board in 1965-66 and Vice President, Technical Activities in 1968 and 1969. He was elected Vice President of the Institute for 1970 and President for 1971.

Jim married Jeanne Lindquist Gittleman in 1947. They have two sons, Jim III and Dick. Jim III graduated from MIT in 1972 and is now a graduate in Biochemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. Dick is a junior at MIT where he is majoring in Biochemistry and active in research.

He was awarded the IEEE Haraden Pratt Award in 1974 'In recognition of James H. Mulligan's dedicated service to the engineering profession through his wise counsel and action in the IEEE both as Director and President, particularly to the younger members, and of his excellent service in promoting coordination of IEEE with other technical and professional organizations, thereby elevating the professional status of all engineers, the Board of Directors confers this Award established by Haraden Pratt with the expectation that his accomplishments will act as a catalyst to future leaders.'

Photographs

USAB Recognition for Professionalism Award, 11 September 1978 C.L. Hogan (L) and James H. Mulligan (R)

James H. Mulligan

Biography

Photographs

Further Reading