Amos E. Joel, Jr.

Infobox_Scientist
name = Amos E. Joel, Jr.

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caption =
birth_date = birth date and age|1918|3|12
birth_place = Philadelphia, PA
death_date =
death_place =
residence = United States
nationality = American
field = Electrical engineering
work_institution =
alma_mater =
doctoral_advisor =
awards = IEEE Medal of Honor

Amos Edward Joel, Jr. (born March 12 1918 in Philadelphia) [ [http://www.ieee.org/web/aboutus/history_center/biography/joel.html Amos Joels interview] from IEEE] is an American electrical engineer, known for several contributions and over seventy patents related to telecommunications switching systems.

He earned his B.Sc. (1940) and M.Sc. (1942) in electrical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he worked on the Rockefeller-funded differential analyzer (project headed by Vannevar Bush), and a thesis on functional design of relays and switch circuits, advised by Samuel H. Caldwell. Joel worked at Bell Labs (1940-83) where he first undertook cryptology studies (collaboration with Claude Shannon), followed by studies on electronic switching system that resulted in the 1ESS switch (1948-60). He then headed the development of advanced telephone services (1961-68), which led to several patents, including one on Traffic Service Position System [US patent|3731000] anda mechanism for handoff in cellular communication (1972). [US patent|3663762] Since 1983 he worked as a consultant to AT&T, developing mechanisms for optical switching. [US patent|4736462]

Publications

*"Electronic Switching: Central Office Systems of the World" (IEEE Press, 1976)
*With Robert J. Chapuis (eds.): "100 Years of Telephone Switching (1878-1978: Part 1: Manual and Electromechanical Switching)", Elsevier 1982. Part 2: "Electronics, Computers and Telephone Switching" (Elsevier, 1990).
*"A History of Engineering and Science in the Bell System the Early Years 1875-1925" (Bell Labs, 1985)
*"Asynchronous Transfer Mode" (IEEE Press, 1993)

Achievements

*New Jersey state's outstanding patent (1972)
*IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal (1976)
*Franklin Institute's Stuart Ballantine Medal (1981)
*Columbian Medal (Genoa, 1983)
*National Academy of Engineering (1981).
*ITU Centenary Prize (1983)
*Kyoto Prize (1989)
*New Jersey Inventor of the year (1989)
*IEEE Medal of Honor (1992)
*IEEE Fellow
*National Medal of Technology (1993)

References