Bernard M. Oliver (May 17, 1916 – November 23, 1995), also known as Barney Oliver, was a
scientist
A scientist is a person who conducts Scientific method, scientific research to advance knowledge in an Branches of science, area of the natural sciences.
In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, ...
who made contributions in many fields, including
radar
Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...
,
television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
, and
computer
A computer is a machine that can be programmed to Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as C ...
s. He was the founder and director of
Hewlett Packard
The Hewlett-Packard Company, commonly shortened to Hewlett-Packard ( ) or HP, was an American multinational information technology company headquartered in Palo Alto, California. HP developed and provided a wide variety of hardware components ...
(
HP) laboratories until his retirement in 1981. He is also a recognized pioneer in the
search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Oliver was president of the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operation ...
in 1965. In 1986, Oliver was a
National Medal of Science
The National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social scienc ...
recipient for
Engineering Science
Engineering physics, or engineering science, refers to the study of the combined disciplines of physics, mathematics, chemistry, biology, and engineering, particularly computer, nuclear, electrical, electronic, aerospace, materials or mechanical en ...
and on February 11, 2004 it was announced that Oliver had been inducted into the
National Inventors Hall of Fame
The National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) is an American not-for-profit organization, founded in 1973, which recognizes individual engineers and inventors who hold a U.S. patent of significant technology. Besides the Hall of Fame, it also opera ...
.
Oliver was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1973, received the National Medal of Science in 1986, and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2004. The asteroid (2177) Oliver is named after him.
Early years
Worked at
Bell Labs
Nokia Bell Labs, originally named Bell Telephone Laboratories (1925–1984),
then AT&T Bell Laboratories (1984–1996)
and Bell Labs Innovations (1996–2007),
is an American industrial research and scientific development company owned by mult ...
.
HP Labs
Founded
HP Labs and worked there four decades.
Scientific contributions
* Developed
pulse-code modulation
Pulse-code modulation (PCM) is a method used to digitally represent sampled analog signals. It is the standard form of digital audio in computers, compact discs, digital telephony and other digital audio applications. In a PCM stream, the ...
(PCM) with
John R. Pierce
John Robinson Pierce (March 27, 1910 – April 2, 2002), was an American engineer and author. He did extensive work concerning radio communication, microwave technology, computer music, psychoacoustics, and science fiction. Additionally to his ...
and
Claude Shannon
Claude Elwood Shannon (April 30, 1916 – February 24, 2001) was an American people, American mathematician, electrical engineering, electrical engineer, and cryptography, cryptographer known as a "father of information theory".
As a 21-year-o ...
* Headed the
HP calculators
HP calculators are various calculators manufactured by the Hewlett-Packard company over the years.
Their desktop models included the HP 9800 series, while their handheld models started with the HP-35. Their focus has been on high-end scientific ...
development team
Chairs, foundations, and awards
* In 2004 he was inducted into The National Inventors Hall of Fame.
* In 1997 the SETI Institute established a newly endowed position, the Bernard M. Oliver Chair.
* Bernard Oliver Memorial Fund
''Bernard Oliver Memorial Fund''
/ref>
* National Medal of Science
The National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social scienc ...
, List of National Medal of Science winners
The National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the following six fields: behavioral scien ...
, Engineering 1986
* Oliver Observing Station
Oliver may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and literature
Books
* ''Oliver the Western Engine'', List of books in The Railway Series#Oliver the Western Engine, volume 24 in ''The Railway Series'' by Rev. W. Awdry
* ''Oliver Twist'', a nove ...
, observatory of the Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy
Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under both ...
* IEEE Lamme Medal
The initially called AIEE Lamme Medal was established in 1924 by the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) to recognize members for 'meritorious achievement in the development of electrical apparatus or machinery.' The medal was named i ...
(1977)
See also
* 2177 Oliver (an asteroid named for Bernard M. Oliver)
* SETI
The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is a collective term for scientific searches for intelligent extraterrestrial life, for example, monitoring electromagnetic radiation for signs of transmissions from civilizations on other p ...
References
External links
HP news release
Oliver, Bernard M., 1916-. (1986). Oral history interview with Bernard More Oliver. Charles Babbage Institute. Retrieved from the University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy, http://hdl.handle.net/11299/107590.
SETI Institute biography
American computer scientists
20th-century American engineers
1916 births
1995 deaths
National Medal of Science laureates
Hewlett-Packard people
Scientists at Bell Labs
IEEE Lamme Medal recipients
20th-century American inventors
Silicon Valley people
American electrical engineers
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