Eugene Ghiron Fubini (April 19, 1913 - August 5, 1997) was a physicist, academic, and scholar who participated in research that led to the creation of the first atomic bomb and also served as
United States Assistant Secretary of Defense
Assistant Secretary of Defense is a title used for many high-level executive positions in the Office of the Secretary of Defense within the U.S. Department of Defense. The Assistant Secretary of Defense title is junior to Under Secretary of Defe ...
in the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations.
He is well known as adefense policy maker of the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
and was the principal manager of the Pentagon's $7 billion annual research and development programs.
He later served as group
Vice president
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...
and chief scientist
at
International Business Machines Corporation from 1965 to 1969.
Early life and education
Eugene was born to
Guido Fubini
Guido Fubini (19 January 1879 – 6 June 1943) was an Italian mathematician, known for Fubini's theorem and the Fubini–Study metric.
Life
Born in Venice, he was steered towards mathematics at an early age by his teachers and his father, wh ...
,
known for
Fubini's theorem
In mathematical analysis Fubini's theorem is a result that gives conditions under which it is possible to compute a double integral by using an iterated integral, introduced by Guido Fubini in 1907. One may switch the order of integration if th ...
and the
Fubini–Study metric
In mathematics, the Fubini–Study metric is a Kähler metric on projective Hilbert space, that is, on a complex projective space CP''n'' endowed with a Hermitian form. This metric was originally described in 1904 and 1905 by Guido Fubini and Edu ...
. Eugene later immigrated from Italy to the United States. He graduated from the Technical Institute of Turin and earned a doctorate in physics at the University of Turin, where he studied under Nobel laureate
Enrico Fermi
Enrico Fermi (; 29 September 1901 – 28 November 1954) was an Italian (later naturalized American) physicist and the creator of the world's first nuclear reactor, the Chicago Pile-1. He has been called the "architect of the nuclear age" and ...
.
Career
In 1939, and in 1942 joined the
war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
effort, working with America despite his native nationality. In 1961 he joined the Office of Defense Research and Engineering at the Pentagon and rose to be deputy director of defense research and engineering for research and information systems.
In June 1963, President John F. Kennedy selected him for the additional position of Assistant Defense Secretary, with responsibilities encompassing military research and development programs.
Later, Fubini became
United States Assistant Secretary of Defense
Assistant Secretary of Defense is a title used for many high-level executive positions in the Office of the Secretary of Defense within the U.S. Department of Defense. The Assistant Secretary of Defense title is junior to Under Secretary of Defe ...
(1963) and a major voice for the policy of
technological supremacy
Technological supremacy is the notion of supremacy in the field of technology in either a regional or global international relations context, as well as in subfields, such as military-technological supremacy, including air supremacy. The notion of ...
during the Cold War. He also served as the chairman of the U.S. Communications Security board.
Honors, awards and memory
The
Defense Science Board
The Defense Science Board (DSB) is a committee of civilian experts appointed to advise the U.S. Department of Defense on scientific and technical matters. It was established in 1956 on the recommendation of the second Hoover Commission.
Charter
...
presents the
Eugene G. Fubini Award on an annual basis for distinguished service. The award was established in 1996 by then Secretary of Defense, William Perry. This award is to recognize an individual who has made highly significant contributions to the Department of Defense in an advisory capacity over a sustained period of time. The first recipient was Dr. Eugene G. Fubini.
Personal life and family
Eugene was married to Betty Machmer and had six children. They have five daughters
and a son
David Fubini.
References
External links
IEEE Biographyin memory of Fubini's contribution, this annual award is given for contributions to defense technology.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fubini, Eugene
1913 births
1997 deaths
American physicists
Italian physicists
United States government officials
Italian emigrants to the United States
American people of Italian descent
Scientists from Turin
Sapienza University of Rome alumni
Polytechnic University of Turin alumni