Emanuel R. Piore
Encyclopedia
Emanuel Ruben Piore (19 July 1908 – 9 May 2000) was a scientist and a manager of industrial research.
Piore was born on 19 July 1908 in Vilnius
, Lithuania
. In 1917, his family moved to the United States
, and in 1924, Emanuel Piore became a naturalized citizen of the United States.
Piore obtained an undergraduate and a Ph.D.
degree in physics
, both from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
. He worked at the Radio Corporation of America, the US Navy (where he became the first civilian to head the Office of Naval Research
) and, subsequently, the Avco Manufacturing Corporation, before being hired as the first Director of Research of IBM
.
Under his direction, the architect Eero Saarinen
designed and build the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center
at Yorktown Heights
, New York
. As Director of Research at IBM he encouraged basic research and the building up of a patent portfolio. He also established the IBM Fellow
program, which allowed top researchers to pursue their own interests for a period of time. He was promoted to vice president and group executive, and Chief Scientist and served IBM as a member of the board of directors and of the advisory committee to the board.
In 1976, the IEEE established the IEEE Emanuel R. Piore Award
, for "outstanding achievement in the field of information processing".
Piore was born on 19 July 1908 in Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
. In 1917, his family moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and in 1924, Emanuel Piore became a naturalized citizen of the United States.
Piore obtained an undergraduate and a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
degree in physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, both from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
. He worked at the Radio Corporation of America, the US Navy (where he became the first civilian to head the Office of Naval Research
Office of Naval Research
The Office of Naval Research , headquartered in Arlington, Virginia , is the office within the United States Department of the Navy that coordinates, executes, and promotes the science and technology programs of the U.S...
) and, subsequently, the Avco Manufacturing Corporation, before being hired as the first Director of Research of IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
.
Under his direction, the architect Eero Saarinen
Eero Saarinen
Eero Saarinen was a Finnish American architect and industrial designer of the 20th century famous for varying his style according to the demands of the project: simple, sweeping, arching structural curves or machine-like rationalism.-Biography:Eero Saarinen shared the same birthday as his father,...
designed and build the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center
Thomas J. Watson Research Center
The Thomas J. Watson Research Center is the headquarters for the IBM Research Division.The center is on three sites, with the main laboratory in Yorktown Heights, New York, 38 miles north of New York City, a building in Hawthorne, New York, and offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts.- Overview :The...
at Yorktown Heights
Yorktown Heights, New York
Yorktown Heights is a census-designated place in the town of Yorktown in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 1,781 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Yorktown Heights is located at ....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. As Director of Research at IBM he encouraged basic research and the building up of a patent portfolio. He also established the IBM Fellow
IBM Fellow
An IBM Fellow is an appointed position at IBM made by IBM’s CEO. Typically only 4 to 9 IBM Fellows are appointed each year, at the annual Corporate Technical Recognition Event in May or June. It is the highest honor a scientist, engineer, or programmer at IBM can achieve.The IBM Fellows program...
program, which allowed top researchers to pursue their own interests for a period of time. He was promoted to vice president and group executive, and Chief Scientist and served IBM as a member of the board of directors and of the advisory committee to the board.
In 1976, the IEEE established the IEEE Emanuel R. Piore Award
IEEE Emanuel R. Piore Award
The IEEE Emanuel R. Piore Award is a Technical Field Award given each year by the IEEE to an individual or small team that has made outstanding contributions to information processing systems in relation to computer science. The award is named in honor of Emanuel R. Piore.The award was established...
, for "outstanding achievement in the field of information processing".
See also
- Herman H. Goldstine and Ralph E. Gomory. Biographical Memoirs: Emanual Ruben Piore. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 145(3):359–363, September 2001.
- Eli Ginsberg, editor. Science and Academic Life in Transition: Emanuel Piore. New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Publishers, Rutgers—The State University, 1990.