George A. Economou
Encyclopedia
George Aristotle Economou (June 24, 1923 – April 2, 2003) was an American
optical systems
expert, who helped set up special cameras to photograph and study the first test of the atomic bomb in 1945. He was instrumental in the development of the atomic bomb at Los Alamos
, working on the Manhattan Project
under scientific director Robert Oppenheimer
.
Born in 1923 in Manchester, New Hampshire
, Economou built his first telescope at the age of 12. After studying astronomy
and astrophysics
at Harvard University
, his career began at the Polaroid Corporation
. In 1944, he joined the United States Army
and was assigned to Los Alamos, New Mexico
, where he helped conceptualize camera lenses
used to photograph bomb tests.
At Contraves, he was later involved in the design of ground station optical instrumentation for GEODSS.
Economou officially retired in 1990 as Group Vice President, Optical Instruments for the Contraves Goerz Corporation in O'Hara Township, Pennsylvania
, but continued to work on some of the industry's more high-profile projects, such as consulting for design and construction of the Large Millimeter Telescope
. He died of lung cancer
aged 79 on April 2, 2003, at Allegheny General Hospital
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
optical systems
Optics
Optics is the branch of physics which involves the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behavior of visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light...
expert, who helped set up special cameras to photograph and study the first test of the atomic bomb in 1945. He was instrumental in the development of the atomic bomb at Los Alamos
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory, managed and operated by Los Alamos National Security , located in Los Alamos, New Mexico...
, working on the Manhattan Project
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
under scientific director Robert Oppenheimer
Robert Oppenheimer
Julius Robert Oppenheimer was an American theoretical physicist and professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley. Along with Enrico Fermi, he is often called the "father of the atomic bomb" for his role in the Manhattan Project, the World War II project that developed the first...
.
Born in 1923 in Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
, Economou built his first telescope at the age of 12. After studying astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
and astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, his career began at the Polaroid Corporation
Polaroid Corporation
Polaroid Corporation is an American-based international consumer electronics and eyewear company, originally founded in 1937 by Edwin H. Land. It is most famous for its instant film cameras, which reached the market in 1948, and continued to be the company's flagship product line until the February...
. In 1944, he joined the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and was assigned to Los Alamos, New Mexico
Los Alamos, New Mexico
Los Alamos is a townsite and census-designated place in Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States, built upon four mesas of the Pajarito Plateau and the adjoining White Rock Canyon. The population of the CDP was 12,019 at the 2010 Census. The townsite or "the hill" is one part of town while...
, where he helped conceptualize camera lenses
Lens (optics)
A lens is an optical device with perfect or approximate axial symmetry which transmits and refracts light, converging or diverging the beam. A simple lens consists of a single optical element...
used to photograph bomb tests.
At Contraves, he was later involved in the design of ground station optical instrumentation for GEODSS.
Economou officially retired in 1990 as Group Vice President, Optical Instruments for the Contraves Goerz Corporation in O'Hara Township, Pennsylvania
O'Hara Township, Pennsylvania
The Township of O'Hara is a Home Rule Municipality in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania in the United States six miles northeast of Downtown Pittsburgh. The community was long organized as a township, and retains "Township" in its official name, but adopted a home rule charter in 1973 and is no...
, but continued to work on some of the industry's more high-profile projects, such as consulting for design and construction of the Large Millimeter Telescope
Large Millimeter Telescope
The Large Millimeter Telescope was inaugurated in Mexico on 22 November 2006. It is the world's largest and most sensitive single-aperture telescope in its frequency range, built for observing radio waves in the wave lengths from approximately 0.85 to 4 mm...
. He died of lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
aged 79 on April 2, 2003, at Allegheny General Hospital
Allegheny General Hospital
Allegheny General Hospital is a large urban hospital located at 320 East North Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Allegheny General Hospital, also known locally by the acronym "AGH!", is located in the Central Northside neighborhood of Pittsburgh...
.