Morris Tanenbaum was an innovative thinker in the world of science and technology, helping the legendary Bell Labs make several technological leaps forward in the 1950s and 1960s. They include spearheading the creation of the first silicon transistor and gas-infused silicon transistor, and helping lead the team that invented the first high-field superconducting magnets. That advancement eventually led to the invention of today’s cutting edge medical imaging devices.
- Died: February 26, 2023 (Who else died on February 26?)
- Details of death: Died in New Providence, New Jersey at age 94.
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Early Career
The son of immigrants, Morris Tanenbaum earned a Bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Johns Hopkins University in 1949, then a PhD in chemistry at Princeton. That led him to a job with Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1952, then among the most pioneering research laboratories in the world and one at least partially responsible for much of the technology that runs the modern world. There, Tanenbaum spent his early years researching ways to create better transistors. He created the first silicon transistor, though Texas Instruments would be the first company to bring the technology to market. That technology is now the backbone of most of today’s electronic devices.
Further Advancements
Tanenbaum further advanced silicone transistor technology throughout the 1950s, but Bell Labs opted not to capitalize on his ideas. In 1962, he became Assistant Director of the Metallurgical Department. Alongside Gene Kunzler, he led the team that created the first high-field superconducting magnets, a development that led to the medical imaging devices so essential to modern medicine. Tanenbaum would leave research and enter management, where he served in an array of positions for Bell Labs, Western Electric Company, and AT&T through the 1990s. From 1984 to 1986, he was the CEO of the AT&T Corporation, after the Bell System was broken up. Tanenbaum received numerous awards during his life, including honorary doctorates, the IEEE Centennial Medal, and a lifetime achievement award at the Edison Patent Awards.
Tributes to Morris Tanenbaum
Full Obituary: The Star-Ledger
