IEEE History Center: Sheldon Hochheiser

Dr. Sheldon Hochheiser Biography

Dr. Sheldon Hochheiser is the Archivist and Institutional Historian at the Center.  Sheldon spent sixteen years as corporate historian for AT&T, acting as both subject matter expert on AT&T history and manager of the corporate archives. While at AT&T, he curated historical exhibits, completed oral histories with company executives, and served as a historical expert on television and radio.  After leaving AT&T in 2004, he worked as a consulting historian, serving corporate and nonprofit clients in areas including oral history, archives, exhibit curation, and subject expertise.

Earlier, as corporate historian for the Rohm and Haas company, he wrote and published Rohm and Haas: History of A Chemical Company (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1986.).  While serving as project historian at the Charles Babbage Institute, he co-authored The High Technology Company: An Historical and Archival Research Guide, (Charles Babbage Institute, 1989) which for many years was the Society of American Archivists’ recommend book on its subject. He also served on the faculties of the University of Minnesota and Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute.  Sheldon earned his Ph.D. in the History of Science at the University of Wisconsin—Madison, and his B.A. in history-chemistry at Reed College.  His research interests include the history of telecommunications, the practice of science and technology in corporate America, and the problem of innovation in a monopoly.

At the History Center, Sheldon is responsible for all of the archival aspects of the Center’s programs, including oral histories, photoarchival material, and material relating to the institutional history of IEEE and its predecessor organizations.  He will also participate in the ongoing efforts to transfer the Center’s historical material to the new IEEE Global History Network currently under development.

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