Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
Guide to the Ervin J. Nalos Papers,
1939-1959
Special Collections M801
View entire collection guide
Search this collection
Table of contents
Title: Ervin J. Nalos Papers,
Date (inclusive): 1939-1959
Collection number: Special Collections M801
Creator: Nalos, Ervin J.
Extent:
3 linear ft.
Repository:
Stanford University. Libraries. Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives.
Language:
English.
None.
Property rights reside with the repository. Literary rights reside with the creators of the documents or their heirs. To obtain
permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Public Services Librarian of the Dept. of Special Collections.
Gift of Ervin J. Nalos, 1995
[Identification of item] Ervin J. Nalos Papers, M801, Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford,
Calif.
Ervin J. Nalos, a naturalized United States citizen, was born September 10, 1924 in Prague. Dr. Nalos' undergraduate study
was done at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, B.A. Sc., 1946. Graduate work, M.A. Sc., 1947, was also started
in Vancouver. His Ph.D. in electrical engineering, 1951, was earned at Stanford, where he worked at the Stanford Microwave
Laboratory. Dr. Nalos received the Baker Award, Institute of Radio Engineering in 1959. His professional career encompasses:
research associate, microwave physics, 1950-54; group leader, microwave tube development and research at Microwave Laboratory,
General Electric, California, 1954-59; scientific representative to Europe, 1959-62; staff engineer, Office of Vice President,
Research and Development, Boeing Aerospace Co., 1962-69; manager of applied technology, Military Airplane Systems Division,
1969-71; supervisor, civil and commercial systems, 1971-78; supervisor, electromagnetics, Boeing Defense and Space Group 1978-.
Dr. Nalos' research has been in electron physics and electronics, high power microwave devices and electromagnetic scattering.
The following quote was sent by Dr. Nalos: "Dr. Ervin Nalos was part of an important offshoot of the pioneering work on high
power klystrons which Dr. Ginzton and his team initiated to power the Linear Accelerator project of Dr. Hansen in the 1946-50
period. While a PhD student and Research Associate, he and Prof. Marvin Chodorow, inspired by the work of J. R. Pierce, reduced
to practice the first waveguide loaded Traveling Wave Tube and the first Megawatt Pulsed TWT. This development would not have
been possible without the Linac slow wave circuit development and the high power cathode development on the klystron. Combining
this capability in a Traveling Wave Circuit provided bandwidth as well as high power, now maturing into a $100 Mill./year
industry with many advances and refinements. In a real sense, the high power microwave work during this period in the Stanford
Microwave Laboratory, was a real precursor to what is called Silicon Valley, and deserves a real study by a researcher interested
in the history of science. In that sense, the material sent to you [Department of Special Collections, Stanford University
Libraries] together with other old Microwave Lab reports, should provide an excellent resource. These include original data
on the first derivative tube at S and X-band conducted at the GE Microwave Lab at Stanford.
Dr. Nalos, under the direction of Dr. Ginzton, and with some assistance from Dr. John Shaw, also pioneered the first Microwave
Lab. Measurements course and the original lecture and lab notes from this series are documented in the collection. en 8/96"
This collection contains technical information on electron tube research from the years 1939-1959, the major portion being
Dr. Nalos' papers from 1945-1959. While there is some correspondence and memos, most of the collection is comprised of technical
reports. Many of these reports are handwritten personal notes on experiments and test data collection with some blueprints
and photographs; others are printed technical reports. Box 4 contains two disbound binders with tables of contents by Dr.
Nalos relating to the Microwave Labs at Stanford. Box 5 contains one disbound binder entitled "High Power TWT Survey." Box
6 contains actual objects relating to electron tubes.
Much of this collection is fragile and should be handled with extreme care. If the researcher finds loose pieces, please bring
to the attention of the reference desk.