Samuel Feltman (May 4, 1899 – September 6, 1951) was an American computer scientist and expert in weaponry. At the time of his death, Feltman was Associate Chief of the Research and Materials Branch and Chief of the Ballistic Section of the U.S. Army Ordnance Research and Development Division. Feltman was centrally involved in the development of the first electronic computer,

ENIAC ENIAC (; Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) was the first programmable, electronic, general-purpose digital computer, completed in 1945. There were other computers that had these features, but the ENIAC had all of them in one pac ...

, of the hypersonic

wind tunnel Wind tunnels are large tubes with air blowing through them which are used to replicate the interaction between air and an object flying through the air or moving along the ground. Researchers use wind tunnels to learn more about how an aircraft ...

, and of " Atomic Annie", the first nuclear artillery shell. Feltman proposed the ballistic characteristics of such weapons as the 90mm and 120mm antiaircraft guns, the 8‑inch gun, the 240mm howitzer, and many other weapons.U.S. Army Ordnance Hall of Fame, 1992 Inductees
Benjamin F. Shearer, ''Home Front Heroes: A Biographical Dictionary of Americans During Wartime'', Greenwood Publishing Group. In 1944, he was awarded the Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service, the highest award given by the Army to a civilian.Samuel Feltman: Man of Science, ''Picatinny News'', July 6, 1954 In honor of his service and contributions, the Picatinny Arsenal dedicated a building in his name, "The Samuel Feltman Ammunition Laboratory," Picatinny Arsenal, Dover, New Jersey. Feltman was born and raised in Long Branch, New Jersey, the son of Russian Jews. He joined the Army Ordnance Corps at the Sandy Hook Proving Ground in 1918, and served at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. He also spent time serving as "what amounted to the permanent under-chief of the ballistics work in Washington" (D.C.).Herman H Goldstine, ''The Computer from Pascal to Von Neumann'', 2nd ed, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press Feltman was killed at the age of 52 in an auto accident, along with his wife and father-in-law.

Development of the computer

In 1946,

John Mauchly John William Mauchly (August 30, 1907 – January 8, 1980) was an American physicist who, along with J. Presper Eckert, designed ENIAC, the first general-purpose electronic digital computer, as well as EDVAC, BINAC and UNIVAC I, the first ...

and

J. Presper Eckert John Adam Presper Eckert Jr. (April 9, 1919 – June 3, 1995) was an American electrical engineer and computer pioneer. With John Mauchly, he designed the first general-purpose electronic digital computer (ENIAC), presented the first course in c ...

developed the first electronic computer at the University of Pennsylvania.inventors.about.com
/ref> The funding for this computer, called

(Electrical Numerical Integrator And Calculator), was provided by the Ballistics and Ordnance Division of the U.S. Army. Lieutenant Herman Goldstine was the Army Officer most directly involved in the development of ENIAC. In his memoir/history of the development of the computer, Goldstine quotes his superior officer, Colonel Paul Gillon, who attributes a crucial role for Feltman in securing the funding for the ENIAC project. Feltman also served as a liaison between the Ballistics Division and Mauchly.

M65 atomic cannon

Feltman also played an important role in the development of the M65 atomic cannon—nicknamed "Atomic Annie". Robert Schwartz began the design of a small tactical nuclear weapon at the Pentagon in 1949. Eventually, his project was transferred to the

Picatinny Arsenal The Picatinny Arsenal ( or ) is an American military research and manufacturing facility located on of land in Jefferson and Rockaway Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States, encompassing Picatinny Lake and Lake Denmark. The Ar ...

in Dover, New Jersey. Schwartz finished his design, and Feltman took on the important role of selling the project to the Pentagon. In July 1954, the Technical Division Laboratory at the Picatinny Arsenal was renamed the Samuel Feltman Laboratories.Looking back at Picatinny. How old is Picatinny? by Patrick J. Owens, ''The Voice''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Feltman, Samuel 1899 births 1951 deaths United States Army civilians People from Long Branch, New Jersey Ballistics experts Weapons scientists and engineers Road incident deaths in the United States Place of death missing American people of Russian-Jewish descent