Lawrence A. "Pat" Hyland (August 26, 1897 – November 24, 1989) was an American

electrical engineer Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems that use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

. He is one of three individuals who are credited with major contributions to the invention of

radar Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...

, but is probably best known as the man who transformed

Hughes Aircraft The Hughes Aircraft Company was a major American aerospace company, aerospace and defense contractor founded on February 14, 1934 by Howard Hughes in Glendale, California, as a division of the Hughes Tool Company. The company produced the Hughes ...

from Howard Hughes' aviation "hobby shop" into one of the world's leading technology companies. Hyland was born in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

, Canada, but his family moved to the U.S. in 1899, where he was raised in

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

. He served in the U.S. Army during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, and then in the U.S. Navy until 1926. Hyland then joined the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory as a radio engineer. While at NRL he first demonstrated the reflection of radio waves from aircraft, and also made other contributions to the development of

doppler radar A Doppler radar is a specialized radar that uses the Doppler effect to produce velocity data about objects at a distance. It does this by bouncing a microwave signal off a desired target and analyzing how the object's motion has altered the fre ...

. In 1932 Hyland founded the Radio Research Company, which would later be merged into the

Bendix Corporation Bendix Corporation is an American manufacturing and engineering company founded in 1924 and subsidiary of Knorr-Bremse since 2002. During various times in its existence, Bendix made automotive brake shoes and systems, vacuum tubes, aircraft ...

; he eventually became Vice President for Research and Engineering at Bendix. In 1954 Hyland was hired as vice president and general manager of

; he would ultimately become company President and CEO after Howard Hughes' death in 1976. Under Hyland's guidance, Hughes Aircraft continued to diversify and become immensely profitable. Among other accomplishments, the company developed numerous radar systems, electro-optical systems, the first working

laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word ''laser'' originated as an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radi ...

, aircraft computer systems,

missile A missile is an airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight aided usually by a propellant, jet engine or rocket motor. Historically, 'missile' referred to any projectile that is thrown, shot or propelled towards a target; this ...

systems,

spacecraft A spacecraft is a vehicle that is designed spaceflight, to fly and operate in outer space. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including Telecommunications, communications, Earth observation satellite, Earth observation, Weather s ...

, and many other advanced technologies. Hyland retired from active service in 1980, but he retained close contact with the company until his death. During his lifetime Hyland frequently advised the U.S. government on science and technology. At various times he served as a senior consultant to the

President's Science Advisory Committee The President's Science Advisory Committee (PSAC) was created on November 21, 1957, by President of the United States Dwight D. Eisenhower, as a direct response to the Soviet launching of the Sputnik 1 and Sputnik 2 satellites. PSAC was an upgra ...

, the Atomic Energy Commission, and the

Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...

; and he was a member of the Defense Industry Advisory Council. Some of Hyland's honors and awards include: * 1950 – Navy Distinguished Public Services Award for pioneering contributions to radar * 1954 – Honorary Doctorate of Engineering, Lawrence Institute of Technology * 1955 – Named a Fellow of the

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is an American 501(c)(3) public charity professional organization for electrical engineering, electronics engineering, and other related disciplines. The IEEE has a corporate office ...

(IEEE) * 1957 – IEEE Pioneer Award for Aeronautical and Navigation Electronics * 1967 –

Collier Trophy The Robert J. Collier Trophy is awarded annually "for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles, the value of which has been t ...

for the Surveyor 1 Moon landing * 1967 – Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association Gold Medal for Meritorious Service * 1974 – IEEE Founders Medal for leadership and management in the field of electronics Hyland's

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...

, ''Call Me Pat: The Autobiography of the Man Howard Hughes Chose to Lead Hughes Aircraft'', was published posthumously in 1994.

External links

Hyland biography on the Engineering and Technology History Wiki
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hyland, L.A. 1897 births 1989 deaths American electrical engineers Fellows of the IEEE Collier Trophy recipients Radar pioneers 20th-century American engineers 20th-century American inventors Bendix Corporation people Canadian emigrants to the United States

Further reading

External links