David Middleton

MIDDLETON--David. Physicist and pioneer of modern Statistical Communication Theory. Age 88, on November 16. His career was devoted to the study of how information is transferred from one point in space-time to another, with numerous applications in radar, underwater listening devices, satellite technology, and wireless communications. Born April 19, 1920 in New York, he graduated from Deerfield Academy (1938) and Harvard College (1942). During WWII, as a research scientist at Harvard's Radio Research Laboratory, he refined the analysis of aluminum "chaff" used to jam enemy radar, protecting American aircraft from detection. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1947. In 1960, he published "An Introduction to Statistical Communication Theory". Widely translated and reprinted, it remains the seminal text for the field. For 50 years he taught, inspired and occasionally confounded his graduate and doctoral students at Harvard, RPI, Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Texas, Rice, and URI. He was a consultant to various goverment agencies, advisory boards, and served on the U.S. Naval Research Advisory Committee (1970-1977). He was a Life Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, and Fellow of the American Physical Society, the Acoustical Society of America, and American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was a member of the Explorers Club, Cosmos Club, and the Dutch Treat Club. Precise in speech, quick with humor, teller of outrageous puns, he was an avid reader of history, philosophy, and biography. Possessing a unique intellect, he had a deep appreciation for the arts expressed in drawing and his un-ending devotion to playing classical piano. The Cape Cod seashore, slamming tennis balls, brisk walks around New York, and popovers at the HC were among his many passions. His first marriage to Nadea Butler ended in divorce. He is survived by his second wife of 37 years, Joan; his children, Susan, Leslie, Blake and George Middleton; his step-sons Christopher, Andrew, and Henry Reed; and three granddaughters. He expected a send-off with a full orchestra playing Beethoven and 100 dancing girls, but until that can be arranged, donations in his memory may go to the IEEE History Center (www.ieeefoundation.org).