MIT Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science

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

Where Have We Been?

Art and Mary Fong

Art Fong graduated from UCB in 1943, in the middle of WW II. Upon graduation, he married Mary Ong, UCB '45, and they immediately traveled to join the MIT Radiation Laboratory.

Art joined Group 55, Frank Gaffney's lab on test and measurements in building 20/22. He did research and development on oscilloscopes, signal generators, spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, power detectors mounts and other wave-guide components.

Mary joined Florence Hollingsworth in the document room in building 24, archiving, researching and disseminating classified documents.

After the Labs, Art joined Hewlett-Packard in 1946 as a founding engineer, where he did research and design on basic electrical measurements, signal generation, spectrum analysis, electromagnetic interference, radios, satellite TV, to thermal analysis and more. His designs spawned three divisions; one in Japan where they lived for two years. He had circled the world four times doing seminars and consulting in Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas. And now, like most everyone else here, he is working on personal computers.

While at HP, Art did graduate work at Stanford, receiving a MSEE. After 40 years at HP, retiring in 1986, he is now a part time staff consultant.

Art was awarded IEEE Fellow for contributions to microwave measurements in 1971 and Life Fellow in 1985. In 1995, the UC Berkeley Engineering Alumni Society awarded him the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award. Publications and patents -- yes.

Mary and Art have four children. Daughter Sheryl, born during MIT days, graduated from UC Berkeley, is a school teacher. Wendy (CSU/Long Beach) is a computer system analyst. Kevin (UCB/BSEE and Stanford MSEE and MBA) is in venture capital. Darice (Univ. of Utah) was in the travel sector, now involved in pre-schooling and is a full-time mom.

They are supporters of UCB and Stanford with the annual Fong Family Scholarships; a named room in UCB/SODA Hall and a yet-to-be-announced Professor Chair.

Art's immediate passion is teaching how to use computers and internet at the Senior Center.

Art's most impressionable memory of "The Labs" was the immense commotion one day, when several scientists discovered how to operate high power magnetrons without filament power. Using the primary bombardment of electrons to liberate secondary emissions, which then heated the cathode. Everyone came to see this brightly lit object in the middle of a room. It was very warm even at distances of several meters, because of the thermal and microwave radiation. Every person who viewed this miracle must have been thoroughly radiated and yet survived all this "radiation". Art's lab was above all this radiation. Many, including Art, in the immediate space was totally exposed. Who started this hysteria, blaming microwave or r-f radiation for many of today's ills? We didn't see a rush of premature exits of former MIT Rad Lab staff members. Art just celebrated his 78th birthday!