John S. Mayo
Encyclopedia
John S. Mayo is an American engineer, known from contributions to the computer
and telecommunications industry,
and as being the seventh president of Bell Labs
(1991).
Born in Greenville, North Carolina
, he earned B.S.
, M.S.
and Ph.D.
degrees in electrical engineering
from North Carolina State University
. Following this,
Mayo joined Bell Labs
, now Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs, (1955) where he first worked on early computers as the Triadic
and Leprechaun
, the Telstar
satellite,
ocean sonar
systems and various switching systems. He was elected vice president
at Bell Labs (1975) and eventually
became the seventh president (1991) until his retirement (1995). He is credited with globalizing Bell Labs and forging closer ties between its research and development and business units.
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
and telecommunications industry,
and as being the seventh president of Bell Labs
Bell Labs
Bell Laboratories is the research and development subsidiary of the French-owned Alcatel-Lucent and previously of the American Telephone & Telegraph Company , half-owned through its Western Electric manufacturing subsidiary.Bell Laboratories operates its...
(1991).
Born in Greenville, North Carolina
Greenville, North Carolina
Greenville is the county seat of Pitt County and principal city of the Greenville, North Carolina metropolitan area. Greenville is the health, entertainment, and educational hub of North Carolina's Tidewater and Coastal Plain and in 2008 was listed as the Tenth Largest City in North Carolina...
, he earned B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
, M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
and 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...
degrees in electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
from North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
. Following this,
Mayo joined Bell Labs
Bell Labs
Bell Laboratories is the research and development subsidiary of the French-owned Alcatel-Lucent and previously of the American Telephone & Telegraph Company , half-owned through its Western Electric manufacturing subsidiary.Bell Laboratories operates its...
, now Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs, (1955) where he first worked on early computers as the Triadic
Triadic
Triadic may refer to:* Triadic patent, a series of corresponding patents* Triadic reciprocal causation, a concept in social psychology* Triadic relation, a mathematical concept* p-adic number, where p=3, a mathematical concept* Triad...
and Leprechaun
Leprechaun
A leprechaun is a type of fairy in Irish folklore, usually taking the form of an old man, clad in a red or green coat, who enjoys partaking in mischief. Like other fairy creatures, leprechauns have been linked to the Tuatha Dé Danann of Irish mythology...
, the Telstar
Telstar
Telstar is the name of various communications satellites, including the first such satellite to relay television signals.The first two Telstar satellites were experimental and nearly identical. Telstar 1 was launched on top of a Thor-Delta rocket on July 10, 1962...
satellite,
ocean sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
systems and various switching systems. He was elected vice president
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
at Bell Labs (1975) and eventually
became the seventh president (1991) until his retirement (1995). He is credited with globalizing Bell Labs and forging closer ties between its research and development and business units.
Awards
- IEEE FellowIEEE FellowAn IEEE member is elevated to the grade of IEEE Fellow for "unusual distinction in the profession and shall be conferred by the Board of Directors upon a person with an extraordinary record of accomplishments in any of the IEEE fields of interest"...
(1967). - Outstanding Engineering Alumnus of North Carolina State University (1977).
- With Eric E. SumnerEric E. SumnerEric Eden Sumner was an Austrian engineer and scientist, well known for hiscontributions to the early developments of switching systems.Born in Vienna, he moved to New York City where he went to...
and M. Robert AaronM. Robert AaronM. Robert Aaron was a noted American electrical engineer specializing in telecommunications.Aaron was born in Philadelphia, served in the United States Coast Guard during World War II, received his bachelor's and master's degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and...
he won the IEEE Alexander Graham Bell MedalIEEE Alexander Graham Bell MedalThe IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal is an award honoring "exceptional contributions to the advancement of communications sciences and engineering" in the field of telecommunications...
(1978) and the Computer and Communications Society Koji Kobayashi Award (1988) for the pioneer work on T-1Digital Signal 1Digital signal 1 is a T-carrier signaling scheme devised by Bell Labs. DS1 is a widely used standard in telecommunications in North America and Japan to transmit voice and data between devices. E1 is used in place of T1 outside North America, Japan, and South Korea...
. - Elected to the National Academy of Engineering (1979).
- National Medal of TechnologyNational Medal of TechnologyThe National Medal of Technology and Innovation is an honor granted by the President of the United States to American inventors and innovators who have made significant contributions to the development of new and important technology...
award (1990) for providing the technological foundation for information age communications and for overseeing the conversion of the national switched telephone network from analog to digital-based technology. - The Industrial Research Institute Medal (1992).
- Engineering Manager of the Year by the American Society for Engineering Management (1992).
- American Association of Engineering Societies (AAES) Chair’s Award (2010).