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Ivan Getting

Ivan A. Getting (January 18, 1912 – October 11, 2003) was an American physicist and electrical engineer best known for his foundational contributions to radar technology during World War II and as a principal architect of the Global Positioning System (GPS), the satellite-based navigation network that revolutionized global positioning and timing. Born in New York City, Getting earned a Bachelor of Science in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1933 as an Edison Scholar and a Doctor of Philosophy in astrophysics from Oxford University in 1935 as a Rhodes Scholar. Early in his career, he conducted research on cosmic rays and nuclear physics at Harvard University from 1935 to 1940 before joining MIT's Radiation Laboratory in 1940, where he served as director of the Division of Fire Control and Army Radar during the war. There, he led the development of the SCR-584 radar system, which was instrumental in countering German V-1 "buzz bombs" and credited with enabling the destruction of about 95% of those targeting London. After the war, Getting advanced to professor of at from 1945 to 1951, overseeing projects like a 350-million electron-volt , before becoming vice president of research and engineering at Corporation from 1951 to 1960, where he contributed to systems such as the Sparrow III and . In 1960, he became the founding of , a role he held until 1977, during which he championed satellite-based navigation concepts that evolved into the Navstar GPS in collaboration with figures like and ; the system's experimental satellites launched in 1978, achieving full operational capability by the 1990s. His work extended to NASA's and programs, systems, and later initiatives like the MX and chemical lasers, while he also served as of the Institute of Electrical and Engineers (IEEE) in 1978. Getting received numerous accolades for his innovations, including the U.S. President's Medal of Merit in 1948, the IEEE Founders Medal in 1989, the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service in 1997, and the in 2003 shared with Parkinson; he was inducted into the posthumously in 2004 and elected to the . He died in , leaving a legacy as a pivotal figure in and whose advancements continue to underpin modern , , and .

Early life and education

Early life

Ivan A. Getting was born on January 18, 1912, in to parents who were immigrants from Bytča, ; his father, Milan Getting, was a newspaperman and politician involved in Slovak independence efforts. Following , his family temporarily relocated to the newly formed , where Getting spent a year attending school in in 1919. They then moved to , , during his early childhood, where he spent much of his formative years and attended local grade schools and high school. The city's bustling industrial landscape, centered around steel production and emerging technologies, provided a dynamic backdrop for his youth. Getting developed an early interest in science and amid this environment, influenced by family activities such as his older brother constructing a simple radio from a Quaker Oats box while living in . This foundation in scientific curiosity paved the way for his transition to at the as an Edison Scholar.

Education

Ivan Getting earned a degree in physics (S.B.) from the (MIT) in 1933, having been selected as an Edison Scholar during his undergraduate studies from 1929 to 1933. This prestigious scholarship, awarded through a national competition, supported his early academic pursuits in a challenging economic climate. In 1933, Getting received a , which enabled him to attend Merton College at the as a graduate student. There, under the supervision of prominent astrophysicist E. A. Milne, he focused his doctoral research on cosmic rays, including their potential galactic origins and the influence of galactic rotation on their intensity, in collaboration with . He completed his (D.Phil.) in in 1935.

Career

Pre-war research and academia

Following his doctoral studies in astrophysics at University, which provided a strong foundation in theoretical physics, Ivan Getting joined as a Junior Fellow in the Society of Fellows from 1935 to 1940. During this period, he initially focused on research, collaborating with Nobel laureate Arthur Holly Compton on investigations into potential anisotropies in intensity due to galactic rotation. Their seminal 1935 paper, "An Apparent Effect of Galactic Rotation on the Intensity of ," published in , proposed a relativistic effect—later known as the Compton–Getting effect—that explained observed variations in flux as arising from the motion of the solar system through the . As his Harvard tenure progressed, Getting shifted his research emphasis from toward , driven by emerging opportunities in particle detection and . This transition reflected the interdisciplinary nature of mid-1930s physics, where cosmic ray studies intersected with phenomena, allowing him to apply his theoretical background to experimental challenges in high-energy particle measurement. A key outcome of this work was Getting's development of early particle detection techniques, including the design and construction of the first high-speed for experiments. This device, detailed in a publication in Review of Scientific Instruments, enabled rapid counting of particle events, addressing limitations in mechanical counters and facilitating more precise for and studies. His contributions during this pre-war phase established him as an innovator in detection methods essential for advancing experimental .

World War II service

In 1940, Ivan Getting joined the MIT Radiation Laboratory, where he served as director of the Division of Fire Control and Army Radar until 1945. His prior work in nuclear physics at Harvard provided a strong foundation for applying theoretical principles to practical radar engineering challenges during the war. Under Getting's leadership, the division developed the SCR-584, the first automatic microwave tracking radar for anti-aircraft fire control, which integrated radar tracking with gun-laying computers to enable precise targeting of fast-moving aircraft. This system revolutionized Allied air defenses by automating the prediction of projectile trajectories, significantly improving accuracy over manual optical methods. Getting also contributed to the U.S. Navy's Mark 56 Gun Fire Control System (GFCS), an anti-aircraft platform that adapted SCR-584 technology for shipboard use, enhancing naval capabilities against aerial threats through real-time radar data integration with ballistic computation. The SCR-584 proved instrumental in Allied defenses against German V-1 flying bombs, with systems deployed around credited for intercepting approximately 95 percent of incoming missiles in late 1944. For instance, on August 28, 1944—the final day of large-scale V-1 launches—anti-aircraft artillery guided by SCR-584 radars destroyed 68 out of 104 bombs fired across the .

Post-war industry and military roles

Following , Ivan Getting returned to academia, serving as an associate professor of at from 1945, advancing to full professor in 1946, and continuing until 1950. During this period, he also headed the Radar Panel of the Research and Development Board under the Department of Defense, leveraging his wartime expertise in systems to guide post-war advancements in the field. In 1950, amid the , Getting left to join the U.S. as Assistant for Development Planning in the Office of the Deputy for Development, a role he held until 1951. In this position, he advised on strategic technological development priorities for the , focusing on enhancing military capabilities during the conflict. From 1951 to 1960, Getting served as vice president for research and engineering at Corporation, where he oversaw the company's expansion into advanced electronics and defense technologies. Under his leadership, pioneered early commercial production of transistors, advancing their applications in military and civilian systems. He also directed initial efforts on early guidance systems, building on principles to support precision weaponry development.

Leadership at Aerospace Corporation

In 1960, Ivan Getting was appointed as the founding president of , a established at the request of U.S. Secretary of the Dudley Sharp to provide independent and technical oversight for space programs. Drawing on his prior experience at in developing guidance systems for missiles, Getting led the corporation from its inception through 1977, transforming it into a key advisor for the U.S. on complex initiatives. Under his leadership, the organization focused on ensuring the reliability and advancement of space technologies amid the . Getting oversaw the technical direction of numerous satellite and missile programs critical to U.S. defense, including the Atlas, Titan, and Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles, as well as reconnaissance satellites such as the Corona series and the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP). His administration emphasized rigorous systems analysis to mitigate risks in launches and operations, contributing to the success of Air Force projects like the conversion of Minuteman missiles and support for NASA's early manned spaceflights, including Project Mercury and Gemini. This oversight extended to ballistic missile defense efforts, where the corporation provided expertise in integrating sensors, propulsion, and guidance technologies to enhance national security capabilities. During Getting's tenure, expanded dramatically from a startup with an initial staff of approximately 250 engineers and scientists—transferred from the Space Technology Laboratories—to a major entity employing thousands by the mid-1970s, with facilities in , and beyond. This growth was driven by increasing contracts for space systems integration, enabling the organization to conduct advanced studies in areas like development and projects such as the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Getting fostered a culture of technical objectivity and innovation, which solidified the corporation's role as an indispensable partner in U.S. space policy and program execution. A key aspect of Getting's leadership was his advocacy for space-based systems, recognizing the limitations of ground-based alternatives and pushing for constellations that could provide precise positioning. He championed Project 621B, an early initiative under Aerospace's guidance that explored atomic clock-equipped satellites for , laying the conceptual foundation for what would become the (GPS). Through persistent promotion within military and government circles, Getting secured funding and technical momentum for these systems, emphasizing their potential to revolutionize military operations and beyond.

Technical contributions

Radar development

During World War II, Ivan Getting led the development of the SCR-584 radar at the MIT Radiation Laboratory, where he served as head of Division 8 responsible for fire control and Army radar systems. The SCR-584 represented a breakthrough as the first automatic microwave tracking fire control radar, operating in the 3 cm wavelength band to enable precise target acquisition and continuous tracking of fast-moving aircraft. Its design innovations included a conical scan system that generated error signals to automatically adjust the antenna, allowing the radar to lock onto and follow targets without manual intervention, which dramatically improved accuracy over earlier manual-tracking radars. A key aspect of the SCR-584 was its seamless with anti-aircraft gun systems, such as the M-9 director computer, to direct 90 mm guns equipped with proximity fuses. This transformed data into fire control commands, reducing the ammunition required to down enemy from thousands of rounds in prior systems to as few as 4-8 rounds per kill. Deployed widely by Allied forces, the SCR-584 was credited with neutralizing approximately 95% of V-1 buzz bombs aimed at , showcasing its battlefield effectiveness. Technical challenges in its development centered on for accuracy; Getting's team overcame issues in extracting reliable error signals from noisy returns by refining conical scan modulation and amplification circuits, ensuring stable tracking even in adverse weather or cluttered environments. Post-war, Getting advanced radar principles during his tenure as vice president for engineering and research at Corporation from 1951 to 1960, evolving WWII tracking technologies toward multidimensional applications. He spearheaded the creation of the first three-dimensional position-finding system using time-difference-of-arrival techniques, which determined target locations in range, , and by measuring propagation delays across multiple receivers. This system addressed post-war demands for enhanced spatial precision in and , building on SCR-584's foundational automatic tracking by incorporating more complex to handle three-axis . Key challenges included for high-accuracy timing in environments, where Getting's innovations in correlation and noise rejection improved resolution to sub-degree levels, mitigating multipath interference and enabling reliable operation for advanced detection tasks.

Missile and guidance systems

During his tenure as vice president of research and engineering at from 1951 to 1960, Ivan Getting oversaw the development of key missile systems, including the Sparrow III, a semiactive -homing designed for improved interception of enemy , and the , a system intended for medium-range antiaircraft defense. These projects built on wartime advancements, such as the SCR-584 tracking , to enhance missile targeting accuracy in dynamic combat environments. Getting also initiated Raytheon's early commercial production of transistors, which enabled more reliable and compact for post-World War II systems, significantly improving accuracy over vacuum-tube-based predecessors by reducing size, power consumption, and failure rates in harsh operational conditions. This transition to solid-state components was pivotal for systems like the Sparrow III and , allowing for real-time that supported guidance laws to maintain lock-on during high-speed maneuvers. In parallel with his role, Getting contributed to naval fire control advancements, leading the development of the Navy's Mark 56 (GFCS MK-56) during at the , an analog system integrating tracking with ballistic computation for antiaircraft guns, which he later patented for enhanced . The MK-56 achieved effective ranges up to approximately 25,000 yards. As a member of the Undersea Warfare Committee of the National Research Council in the mid-1950s, Getting served as associate director of Project Nobska, a classified study on that recommended solid-propellant submarine-launched ballistic missiles, directly influencing the conceptual design of the Polaris A1, the U.S. Navy's first successful SLBM deployed in 1960 with inertial guidance for reliable underwater launch and midcourse correction. His advocacy emphasized inertial navigation stability, setting standards for subsequent strategic missile programs.

Global Positioning System

In the 1960s, while serving as president of , Ivan Getting conceived the idea of a that could provide precise , envisioning it as "lighthouses in the sky" to surpass the limitations of earlier systems like . This concept emerged from Getting's leadership in Project 621-B, a study that laid the groundwork for advanced by integrating atomic timing and . Getting collaborated closely with , who developed the Timation satellite timing system at the Naval Research Laboratory, and , the program manager, to advance the Navstar GPS program. Their combined efforts merged Easton's precise timekeeping innovations, Parkinson's , and Getting's strategic vision into a unified architecture for a constellation of satellites enabling worldwide navigation. Key milestones in GPS development under Getting's influence included the 1973 Defense Department approval of a 24-satellite system, drawing from Project 621-B, , and Timation technologies, which authorized initial research and prototyping. The first Navstar GPS satellite launched in , demonstrating the system's core capabilities with experimental Block I vehicles. By the 1990s, the constellation achieved full operational capability in 1993, providing reliable positioning for military applications during the Persian Gulf War with accuracies under 9 meters. At its core, GPS relies on atomic clocks aboard s to generate precise timing signals, allowing receivers on to measure distances via , where the distance d to each satellite is calculated as d = c \times t, with c as the and t as the signal travel time. Getting advocated for a four-satellite geometry that eliminated the need for expensive atomic clocks in user receivers, using the fourth satellite to solve for time offsets and thereby reducing system costs while enabling high accuracy. Getting played a crucial role in securing and adoption by aggressively promoting Navstar to the presidential advisor and heads of the armed forces, famously stating his goal "was to get the damn thing ." His efforts led to for feasibility studies, Department of Defense support for technology demonstrations, and eventual approval of a $10 billion development program, ensuring GPS transitioned from concept to a cornerstone of U.S. capabilities.

Administrative roles and legacy

Government and advisory positions

During the Korean War, Getting served as Assistant for Development Planning to the Deputy Chief of Staff of the from 1950 to 1951, where he focused on enhancing U.S. military capabilities in response to emerging threats. In 1956, as a member of the ' Undersea Warfare Committee, Getting served as associate director of Project Nobska, a U.S. study on technologies that recommended the development of a submarine-launched, solid-propellant , laying the groundwork for the system. He remained on the committee for 25 years, contributing to broader naval studies through the National Research Council's Naval Studies Board and its panels. Getting also advised on key air defense initiatives, including playing a significant role in the deployment of the system, a computer-based network for coordinating data and interceptors during the . As a founding member of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board in 1945—established with General and —he later served as Chief Scientist of the Air Force and provided ongoing counsel to on defense technologies. He was a longtime member of the President's Scientific Advisory Committee, offering expertise on scientific and technical policy matters across multiple administrations. In the , Getting conducted technical analyses that supported the reinstatement of funding for the B-1 bomber program by , influencing U.S. strategic capabilities. Following his retirement from in 1977, Getting continued as a consultant and board member for various defense and organizations, directing studies on basing modes and long-range combat aircraft while advising on national policy and defense research and development strategies.

Presidency of IEEE

Ivan A. Getting was elected president of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in December 1977, defeating candidate Irwin Feerst in a contested that included debates at various sections, such as in , and ultimately securing a comfortable margin of victory. He assumed the role for the 1978 term, during which he emphasized IEEE's identity as a focused on professional expertise rather than union-like activities, such as advocating for job stability or pensions, in opposition to Feerst's platform. During his presidency, Getting launched initiatives to strengthen by promoting IEEE's role in providing informed policy statements on technical matters, including controls, while avoiding overreach into non-expert areas. He advanced international collaboration by undertaking visits to key regions, such as launching five new sections in , and engaging with counterparts in , , and , while addressing affordability issues like reduced dues for members in economically challenged areas like to foster global participation. In , Getting supported the development of voluntary standards through the IEEE Standards Board in coordination with the (ANSI), ensuring IEEE's contributions remained focused and authoritative. Additionally, he advocated for sustained federal funding in and by engaging industry leaders to reinforce IEEE's supportive stance toward partnerships, countering perceptions of the organization as overly union-oriented. Getting's leadership had a measurable impact on IEEE's expansion and operations, with membership growing notably that year, particularly among students, and the establishment of the IEEE Foundation in December 1978 to support long-term philanthropic efforts. He also facilitated organizational enhancements by hiring Eric Herz as general manager, which bolstered administrative efficiency, and encouraged key staffing in the IEEE Washington office, such as recruiting Edith Carper to advance legislative advocacy on professional issues affecting U.S. engineers. These efforts contributed to IEEE's strengthened influence in standards development and policy engagement during a period of economic challenges for the engineering profession.

Awards and honors

Ivan A. Getting received numerous prestigious awards and honors throughout his career, recognizing his contributions to radar technology, , and systems. Earlier in his career, Getting was elected a Fellow of the in 1941, acknowledging his early research in and . He was also elected to the in 1965, recognizing his engineering leadership in defense and space systems. In 1948, he was awarded the U.S. Medal of Merit by President for his leadership in radar development during at the . This high civilian honor underscored his pivotal role in advancing Allied air defense capabilities. In 1960, Getting earned the Air Force Exceptional Service Award for his exceptional contributions to missile and space programs during his tenure at and the Air Research and Development Command. Later, in 1975, he received the IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Pioneer Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers for pioneering advancements in aerospace electronics, alongside the Kitty Hawk Award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics for his leadership in aeronautical innovation. In 1997, Getting received the U.S. Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service. He was awarded the John Fritz Medal in 1998 for his scientific and engineering achievements. In 1999, he earned the Navy Superior Public Service Award for his lifetime support to the Navy's science and technology programs. Getting received the AIAA Goddard Astronautics Award in 2001 for his lifetime contributions to aerospace. Getting's influence on global navigation was honored in 2003 when he shared the , the National Academy of Engineering's highest award, with Bradford W. Parkinson for their foundational work on the (GPS). This $500,000 prize highlighted the transformative impact of GPS on modern technology and society. In 1989, he received the IEEE Founders Medal for his lifetime achievements in , particularly in systems integration for aerospace applications. He was inducted into the posthumously in 2004.

Personal life and death

Family and later years

Ivan Getting was first married to , with whom he had three children: Nancy Getting Secker, a ; Ivan C. Getting Jr., a geophysicist; and Peter A. Getting, a of . His son Peter A. Getting died in 2006. Dorothea passed away in 1976. Following her death, Getting remarried Helen Avery Griggs on January 9, 1977, in , . The couple resided together in , where Getting spent his retirement years after stepping down as president of in 1977. In retirement, Getting remained active professionally, serving on an independent review team to assess and enhance the Global Positioning System's development and accuracy. He also authored his autobiography, All in a Lifetime: Science in the Defense of Democracy, published in 1989, which chronicled his career contributions to science and national defense.

Death

Ivan A. Getting died peacefully in his sleep on the night of October 11, 2003, at his home in , at the age of 91. The was natural causes related to advanced age, as no specific medical condition was publicly disclosed by the family. A memorial service was held on October 19, 2003, at 12:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Coronado. In tribute to his contributions to , the U.S. Air Force launched a GPS in March 2004 bearing a plaque inscribed: "Lighthouses in the Sky Serving All Mankind, Dr. Ivan A. Getting, 1912–2003."

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