MIT Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science

MIT's Building 20: The Magical Incubator Story, Anecdote, or Reminiscence

Coming Through the Back Door of this Secure Building

Charles A. Steggarda
'54

In 1949, as an MIT freshman living in Building 22, I knew that somewhere in the vast complexes of Building 20 with all the antennas on the roof, there might be a laboratory with a sweep generator that I could use to align an FM tuner that I was building. I did not know that Building 20 was a restricted laboratory complex whose entry required security clearance. With my tuner and a vacuum tube voltmeter tucked under my arm I set out for Building 20 and found an open back door. I wandered in and found an open laboratory with a friendly Englishman named Percy. (I never knew his last name). Percy let me use a sweep generator to align the tuner. What I had anticipated would be a simple task proved more complicated because the tuner would break into oscillation. I returned several more times and Percy would give me pointers how to align the various FM circuits. Percy thought that it was rather amusing that this kid had come through the back door of this secure building. The laboratory was under the direction of professors Fano and Lee. To questions as to who I was, Percy would tell professor Fano "I think Professor Lee let him in." To Professor Lee's query, "I think Professor Fano let him in." Finally, the jig was up and I was told to leave, but I have fond memories of Percy and Building 20.

At graduation in Course 6A, my mother met Professor Fano. She knew a Dr. Fano who was a geneticist who had worked at the Carnegie biological research station on Long Island. It turned out that Dr. Fano the geneticist was Professor Fano's brother.