IEEE History Center: Jerry B. Minter Abstract

Jerry B. Minter was born in 1913 and became interested in radios at an early age. In 1922 he saw an early crystal set, and in high school he was already helping to install and service radio sets. He studied for one year at North Texas Agricultural College in Arlington and then went to MIT where he graduated in 1934 with a degree in electrical engineering. After graduating, Minter got a job at Boonton Radio in New Jersey, and then he helped to start Measurements Corporation in 1939. After the war, Minter and his company began working with television, including the Model 90 signal generator and later with developments in television color. He also became involved with connectors, and in the 1960s Minter worked on medical instrumentation which involved videotaping output from surgical microscopes. Minter has twenty-six patents, six of which are for recent work in aviation, another field he was involved in. He was very active in the IRE in his early career, helping to found the North Jersey Subsection – which became a section in 1954 – and serving as its first chair, and he also helped found the Audio and Engineering Society.

In his interview, Minter discusses many aspects of his long and still very active career. He explains how one of his signal generators was at Pearl Harbor on the day of the attacks and the controversy over mechanical versus human failure. He also talks about the formation of the North Jersey Subsection, working with J.W. McRae, its early chairs (such as Allan Parkes, Jr., J.F. Morrison, Gordon McCouch, Tom Goldsmith and George Holst) and the later merger of AIEE and IRE into the IEEE. Throughout the interview, Minter discusses the difficulties of military work and the issue of classified information particularly during the war. Minter also shares his experiences with Governor Charles Edison, son of Thomas Edison, and the stories Edison told him about his father and Henry Ford.

Jerry Minter’s interview is a particular milestone for the IEEE Oral History project because it is the first one to be videotaped – appropriate with his involvement in television and video for so many years.

1.	Discussion of Components Corporation which makes electrical connectors.
2.	Born in 1913; early interest in radios.
3.	One year at North Texas Agricultural College in Arlington, then went to MIT which he graduated from in 1934 in electrical engineering; after graduating, he found a job at Boonton Radio in New Jersey.
4.	Helped start Measurements Corporation in 1939 which made signal generators during World War II.
5.	One of his company’s signal generators at Pearl Harbor.
6.	Interaction with the MIT Rad Lab.
7.	After the war, he began working on television including the Model 90 signal generator; also interacted with companies such as Sound Lab and RCA.
8.	Describes how he became involved in the IRE.
9.	1944 and the creation of IRE subsections.
10.	Working with J.W. McRae to found the North Jersey Subsection (which became a section in 1954).
11.	Involvement with technical committees for the IRE; the Q meter and development of television color.
12.	Discussion of Minter’s current patents in aviation.
13.	Selling of Measurements Corporation to the Edison Company; became involved in connectors.
14.	Minter as founding chair of North Jersey Subsection, discusses later chairs Allan Parkes, Jr. and J.F. Morrison.
15.	Later chairs Gordon McCouch and Tom Goldsmith.
16.	George Holst; the merger to form IEEE.
17.	Medical instrumentation work in the 1960s on ‘videotaping output from a surgical microscope.’
18.	Discusses how he became involved in bioengineering.
19.	Work at hospitals such as Montefiore and Beth Israel.
20.	His personal interest in flying and involvement in the Civil Air Patrol after the war.
21.	Less activity in North Jersey Section in the last twenty or twenty-five years.
22.	Part of Radio Club of America; helped found the Audio and Engineering Society.
23.	MIT’s Building 20 and ‘dead rooms.’
24.	Discusses health and importance of lysine.
25.	Body as engineering system.
26.	Involvement in aerospace, such as high-voltage power supplies.
27.	Field strength meters; use of his power supplies by NASA and satellite probes.
28.	Thesis on coil work at MIT.
29.	Meeting with Governor Charles Edison, son of Thomas Edison.
30.	Henry Ford stories from Charles Edison.
31.	More Ford stories.
32.	Dinner at the West Orange Laboratory and story about Thomas Edison.