Earl G. Goddard

2522 Webster Street
Palo Alto, CA 94302

Educator, Naval Reserve Officer, Electronic Systems Engineer, Historian, Yachtsman, Musician, Environmentalist, Genealogist - (Retired)

Education:

BS Electrical Engineering NMSC A&MA (NMSU) 1939
AM Electronics Engineering Leland Stanford, Jr. Univ. 1947
ENGR Electronics Engineering Leland Stanford, Jr. Univ. 1947

Biography

Third son of pioneering NMSC A&MA (NMSU) Dean Ralph Willis Goddard, Alumnus Earl Gascoigne Goddard was born in Mesilla Park and grew up in Las Cruces. He attended Mesilla Park Grammar School, Las Cruces Union High School and NMSC A&MN (NMSU). Following graduation from NMSU (With Honors), he enrolled in graduate school at Leland Stanford, Jr. University, Palo Alto, California. This began a busy and varied professional career spanning a period of five decades, three related but different professional fields: Academic, Military and Engineering, as well as axillary activity in community, Historical Radio, Yachting, Music, Family Genealogy and Environmental Concerns.

The early 1940's were turbulent times for young men embarking upon their professional careers. Two years as an Instructor in Electrical Engineering and Electronics at Rice Institute (University) in Houston, Texas were followed by four + on active duty as a Naval Reserve Mine Warfare Officer at the Naval Ordnance Laboratory and in the Southwest Pacific Area and as an Instructor of Communications Engineering at the US Naval Postgraduate School. The GI Bill made possible the completion of interrupted graduate studies at Stanford after which a year at Duke University preceded his return as a civilian faculty member to the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Annapolis, Maryland and Monterey, California, teaching advanced communications systems, radio navigation and electronic countermeasures systems from 1948-55.

Another shift from Academia came in 1955 when he joined the Radio Systems Group at the Stanford Research Institute in Menlo Park, California as a Senior Research Engineer specializing in electronic navigation systems until 1960. The next eighteen years were devoted to a variety of assignments that included field engineer training programs, ultrasonic instrument development, electronic warfare systems research design and development. Over the years he wrote and published frequently in this field. He was active in the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE), that merged with the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) to become the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). He served the San Francisco Section from 1956-1073 as Secretary, Vice Chairman Member of Executive Committee, Chairman of Section Historical Committee and San Francisco Section member of IRE 7th Regional Committee.

In 1984, his contributions in engineering and his activity in the history of radio and electronics were recognized by the IEEE's Centennial Award. He was a principal in the establishment of the Foothill Electronics Museum of the Perham Foundation at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, California, serving on the Board of Directors from 1959-75. During this time he was President of the Board 1963-65 and 1967-74. He served on the IEEE Historical Committee from 1967-71. In 1988, he was recognized as one of the 100 Outstanding Alumni of the College of Engineering during NMSU's Centennial celebrations.

Since his retirement in 1978, his interests have shifted significantly as he has pursued sailing, music, family genealogy, serving on Advisory Boards, traveling and visiting family and friends - around the world.

This page is maintained by eeoffice@nmsu.edu Last update 12-12-96