Dr. William O. Baker, Global Statesman of Science and Former Bell Labs President

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: GLIGOR1 () aol com
Date: November 1, 2005 5:46:17 PM EST
To: dave () farber net, Rstone () science-int co uk
Subject: Dr. William O. Baker, Global Statesman of Science and Former  
Bell Labs President

Dr. William O. Baker, Global Statesman of Science and Former Bell  
Labs President, Dies At 90


    MURRAY HILL, N.J., Nov. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lucent  
Technologies (NYSE:LU) Bell Labs today announced that Dr. William O.  
Baker, Bell Labs president from 1973 to 1979, died yesterday in  
Chatham, New Jersey.  He was 90.

    For nearly two decades Dr. Baker's leadership of research at  
Bell Labs created the model for modern industrial research  
laboratories. During his tenure as Bell Labs president, researchers  
at Bell Labs won Nobel Prizes in physics both for the improved  
understanding of the electronic structure of glass and magnetic  
materials and for the discovery of background radiation remaining  
from the "big bang" that created the universe billions of years ago.

    "Dr. Baker was a guardian of the country's technological  
leadership as well as a true global statesman of science," said Jeong  
Kim, president of Bell Labs.  "Bill will be deeply missed by everyone  
he touched, particularly those at Bell Labs who had the opportunity  
to work with him.  He will always be remembered for his enthusiasm,  
knowledge and commitment to the country's scientific excellence."

    In his early research Dr. Baker focused on the development and  
application of polymer chemistry, resulting in crucial advancement in  
the development of synthetic rubber, a ubiquitous substance found  
throughout the world today in everything from shoes to tires.  During  
his career, Dr. Baker was granted eleven patents for this work.

Dr. Baker was honored with the Presidential Medal of Science, the  
Presidential National Security Award, the Lifetime Achievement Award  
from the Marconi International Fellowship Foundation, 27 honorary  
doctorates, and numerous professional awards from such organizations  
as the American Chemical Society, the Franklin Institute's Fahrney  
Medal, the American Institute of Chemists, the National Science  
Foundation, and the Materials Research Society. Dr. Baker was the  
first person to hold membership in all three of the National Academy  
of Science, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of  
Medicine.

    "The one word that seems most appropriate to describe Dr. Baker  
and his many contributions to humanity is 'revered.' His counsel,  
wisdom, leadership, and guidance were so significant that all the  
many people who knew him -- in science, in government, at Bell Labs,  
in universities, and on governing boards -- had the highest respect  
for and devotion to him," said Michael Noll, professor at the  
Annenberg School for Communications at the University of Southern  
California and Dr. Baker's archivist.  "Dr. Baker was a true  
'diplomat of science' -- a 'science patriot' -- because of his  
significant contributions to the Nation; and a 'science humanist'  
because of his advocacy of the use of science for the benefit of  
humanity."

Dr. Baker served as an advisor to most presidents in the second half  
of the twentieth century including Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy,  
Johnson, Nixon, and Ford.  Dr. Baker's impact on the nation was  
particularly felt on the technology of information gathering by the  
intelligence community during the Cold War, including the use of  
special computers and satellite reconnaissance. In 1959, at the  
request of President Eisenhower, Dr. Baker developed the plan for the  
establishment of the Defense Communications Agency, which was  
eventually implemented in 1961 under President Kennedy.  He served as  
a member of the President's Science Advisory Committee (PSAC) and  
also on the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board (from  
1957 to 1977 and again from 1981 to 1990).

    After receiving his doctorate in chemistry from Princeton  
University in the summer of 1938 Dr. Baker joined Bell Labs the  
following May as a member of technical staff.  He became Head of the  
Polymer Research and Development Department at Bell Telephone  
Laboratories in 1948. From 1951 to 1955, he was Assistant Director of  
Chemical and Metallurgical Research. Dr. Baker became Vice President  
of Research in 1955, after a short period as Director of Physical  
Sciences Research. He was elected President of Bell Labs in 1973 and  
served until 1979. He retired in 1980 but continued his many  
activities in advising various foundations, academic institutions,  
and government agencies.

    Awards and honors have been established in his name including:  
the William O. Baker Professorship in Computer Science at Princeton  
University; the William Oliver Baker Award of the Security Affairs  
Support Association; the National Academy of Sciences Prize for  
Initiatives in Research; the Baker Family Scholarship at Drew  
University; and the William O. Baker Graduate Fellowships at  
Rockefeller University by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

    More information on Dr. Baker can be found at http:// 
www.williamobaker.org

    About Bell Labs and Lucent Technologies

Bell Labs is the leading source of new communications technologies  
and has been for eighty years. It has generated more than 31,000  
patents since 1925 and has played a pivotal role in inventing or  
perfecting key communications technologies, including transistors,  
digital networking and signal processing, lasers and fiber-optic  
communications systems, communications satellites, cellular  
telephony, electronic switching of calls, touch-tone dialing, and  
modems. Bell Labs scientists have received six Nobel Prizes in  
Physics, nine U.S. National Medals of Science and eight U.S. National  
Medals of Technology. For more information about Bell Labs, visit its  
Web site at http://www.bell-labs.com.

    Lucent Technologies designs and delivers the systems, services  
and software that drive next-generation communications networks.   
Backed by Bell Labs research and development, Lucent uses its  
strengths in mobility, optical, software, data and voice networking  
technologies, as well as services, to create new revenue-generating  
opportunities for its customers, while enabling them to quickly  
deploy and better manage their networks.  Lucent's customer base  
includes communications service providers, governments and  
enterprises worldwide.  For more information on Lucent Technologies,  
which has headquarters in Murray Hill, N.J., USA, visit http:// 
www.lucent.com.

SOURCE  Lucent Technologies

11/01/2005 10:09 ET

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