Bernard M. Oliver

Bernard M. Oliver
Born	(1916-05-27)May 27, 1916
Died	November 23, 1995(1995-11-23) (aged 79) Santa Clara, California, U.S.
Nationality	American
Known for	Pulse-code modulation
Awards	National Medal of Science (1986) National Inventors Hall of Fame
Scientific career
Fields	scientist, engineer
Institutions	Hewlett Packard

Bernard M. Oliver (1916–1995), also known as Barney Oliver, was a scientist who made contributions in many fields, including radar, television, and computers. He was the founder and director of Hewlett Packard (HP) laboratories until his retirement in 1981. He is also a recognized pioneer in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Oliver was president of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in 1965. In 1986, Oliver was a National Medal of Science recipient for Engineering Science and on February 11, 2004 it was announced that Oliver had been inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Early years

Worked at Bell Labs

HP Labs

Founded HP Labs and worked there four decades

Scientific contributions

• Developed pulse-code modulation (PCM) with John R. Pierce and Claude Shannon
• Headed the HP calculators development team

Chairs, foundations, and awards

• In 2004 he was inducted into The National Inventors Hall of Fame.
• In 1997 the SETI Institute established a newly endowed position, the Bernard M. Oliver Chair.
• Bernard Oliver Memorial Fund
• National Medal of Science, List of National Medal of Science winners, Engineering 1986
• Oliver Observing Station, observatory of the Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy

See also

• 2177 Oliver (an asteroid named for Bernard M. Oliver)
• SETI

External links

• HP news release
• An Interview with BERNARD MORE OLIVER OH 97 (pdf) Conducted by Arthur L. Norberg on 9 August 1985, 14 April 1986, Hewlett-Packard Company (Palo Alto, CA)
• SETI Institute biography
• Bernard Oliver Memorial Fund