John H. Rubel
Encyclopedia
John H. Rubel was a business executive in the early post-World War II years of the defense electronics
industry, later serving as Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Kennedy
administration. He is regarded as one of Robert McNamara
's so-called whiz kids
and was an early proponent of geosynchronous communications satellite
s.
Rubel was born in Chicago to a well-to-do Jewish family of German origins. Following the death of his father in 1927, he moved with his mother to Los Angeles, where he attended public schools and graduated from Los Angeles High School
. His undergraduate degree, in engineering, was from Caltech, in 1942.
Both to avoid the draft and to contribute to the war effort, Rubel (and his wife Dorothy) moved to Schenectady, New York, where he was a junior engineer at General Electric. Immediately after the war, he returned to Southern California to work for Lockheed Corporation as an engineer.
In 1948, Rubel joined what was essentially a start up company within Howard Hughes
' industrial empire, an organization that eventually became Hughes Electronics (then a new word). By 1956, at the age of 36, he was directing most of the avionics
business and managing 2000 people. Featured in a Hughes advertisement as "the new man" (that is, leader in a field that had not existed only a decade earlier—defense electronics) he began to gain national prominence. (Rubel states that Howard Hughes personally did not like the advertising campaign, which was summarily dropped.)
In 1959, still during the Eisenhower
administration, Rubel was invited to become Assistant Director (to Herbert York
) of Defense Research and Engineering in the Pentagon. When, after Kennedy's election, Robert McNamara
became Secretary of Defense, Rubel was kept on as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, one of few outsiders to join the ranks of McNamara's whiz kids
.
As Assistant Secretary of Defense, Rubel is most remembered for his early sponsorship and support of spin-stabilized geosynchronous communications satellites (notably SYNCOM
I and SYNCOM II), leading directly to the government charter of COMSAT
Corporation (now a unit of Lockheed Martin
Corporation), the founding of the Hughes satellite manufacturing business (now a part of Boeing
Corporation), and the creation of today's satellite communications industry. He also sponsored the creation of the Titan III
space launch vehicle, which became a workhorse of the space industry.
After leaving the Pentagon in 1963, Rubel worked for 10 years for Litton Industries
. He supervised the design of what is regarded as the world's first highly automated modern shipyard using serial production methods to produce large ships at Pascagoula, Mississippi
. This shipyard, now a subsidiary of Huntington Ingalls Corp., is a major private employer on the Gulf coast. Among its first large production contracts the new shipyard produced a fleet of five LHAs (Landing Helicopter Assault ships), designed under Rubel's direction, ships with the displacement weight of a small aircraft carrier. A significant majority of U.S. Navy's surface warships have been produced in this shipyard since production began in the early 1970s.
Defense contractor
A defense contractor is a business organization or individual that provides products or services to a military department of a government. Products typically include military aircraft, ships, vehicles, weaponry, and electronic systems...
industry, later serving as Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
administration. He is regarded as one of Robert McNamara
Robert McNamara
Robert Strange McNamara was an American business executive and the eighth Secretary of Defense, serving under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961 to 1968, during which time he played a large role in escalating the United States involvement in the Vietnam War...
's so-called whiz kids
Whiz Kids (Department of Defense)
Whiz Kids was a name given to a group of experts from RAND Corporation with which Robert McNamara surrounded himself in order to turn around the management of the United States Department of Defense in the 1960s...
and was an early proponent of geosynchronous communications satellite
Communications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications...
s.
Rubel was born in Chicago to a well-to-do Jewish family of German origins. Following the death of his father in 1927, he moved with his mother to Los Angeles, where he attended public schools and graduated from Los Angeles High School
Los Angeles High School
Los Angeles High School is the oldest public high school in the Southern California Region and in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Its colors are blue and white and the teams are called the Romans....
. His undergraduate degree, in engineering, was from Caltech, in 1942.
Both to avoid the draft and to contribute to the war effort, Rubel (and his wife Dorothy) moved to Schenectady, New York, where he was a junior engineer at General Electric. Immediately after the war, he returned to Southern California to work for Lockheed Corporation as an engineer.
In 1948, Rubel joined what was essentially a start up company within Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
' industrial empire, an organization that eventually became Hughes Electronics (then a new word). By 1956, at the age of 36, he was directing most of the avionics
Avionics
Avionics are electronic systems used on aircraft, artificial satellites and spacecraft.Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to meet individual roles...
business and managing 2000 people. Featured in a Hughes advertisement as "the new man" (that is, leader in a field that had not existed only a decade earlier—defense electronics) he began to gain national prominence. (Rubel states that Howard Hughes personally did not like the advertising campaign, which was summarily dropped.)
In 1959, still during the Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
administration, Rubel was invited to become Assistant Director (to Herbert York
Herbert York
Herbert Frank York was an American nuclear physicist. He held numerous research and administrative positions at various United States government and educational institutes.-Biography:...
) of Defense Research and Engineering in the Pentagon. When, after Kennedy's election, Robert McNamara
Robert McNamara
Robert Strange McNamara was an American business executive and the eighth Secretary of Defense, serving under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961 to 1968, during which time he played a large role in escalating the United States involvement in the Vietnam War...
became Secretary of Defense, Rubel was kept on as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, one of few outsiders to join the ranks of McNamara's whiz kids
Whiz Kids (Department of Defense)
Whiz Kids was a name given to a group of experts from RAND Corporation with which Robert McNamara surrounded himself in order to turn around the management of the United States Department of Defense in the 1960s...
.
As Assistant Secretary of Defense, Rubel is most remembered for his early sponsorship and support of spin-stabilized geosynchronous communications satellites (notably SYNCOM
Syncom
Syncom started as a 1961 NASA program for active geosynchronous communication satellites, all of which were developed and manufactured by Hughes Space and Communications...
I and SYNCOM II), leading directly to the government charter of COMSAT
COMSAT
The Communications Satellite Corporation is a global telecommunications company, based in the USA, and with branches in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela and several other countries in the Americas. It is present also in Turkey...
Corporation (now a unit of Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
Corporation), the founding of the Hughes satellite manufacturing business (now a part of Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
Corporation), and the creation of today's satellite communications industry. He also sponsored the creation of the Titan III
Titan (rocket family)
Titan was a family of U.S. expendable rockets used between 1959 and 2005. A total of 368 rockets of this family were launched, including all the Project Gemini manned flights of the mid-1960s...
space launch vehicle, which became a workhorse of the space industry.
After leaving the Pentagon in 1963, Rubel worked for 10 years for Litton Industries
Litton Industries
Named after inventor Charles Litton, Sr., Litton Industries was a large defense contractor in the United States, bought by the Northrop Grumman Corporation in 2001.-History:...
. He supervised the design of what is regarded as the world's first highly automated modern shipyard using serial production methods to produce large ships at Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula, Mississippi
Pascagoula is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, as a part of the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. The population was 26,200 at the 2000 census...
. This shipyard, now a subsidiary of Huntington Ingalls Corp., is a major private employer on the Gulf coast. Among its first large production contracts the new shipyard produced a fleet of five LHAs (Landing Helicopter Assault ships), designed under Rubel's direction, ships with the displacement weight of a small aircraft carrier. A significant majority of U.S. Navy's surface warships have been produced in this shipyard since production began in the early 1970s.
Other Books by Rubel
- John H. Rubel (1998) Selected Poems, 1940-1998 (Key Say Publications, Tesuque, NM)
- John H. Rubel (2008) Doomsday Delayed: USAF Strategic Weapons Doctrine and SIOP-62, 1959–1962, Two Cautionary Tales (Hamilton Books, Lanham, MD)
- John H. Rubel (2009) Reflections on Fame and Some Famous Men (Sunstone Press, Santa Fe, NM)