Background
Pake, George Edward was born on April 1, 1924 in Jeffersonville, Ohio, United States. Son of Edward Howe and Mary Mabel (Fry) Pake.
physicist university professor
Pake, George Edward was born on April 1, 1924 in Jeffersonville, Ohio, United States. Son of Edward Howe and Mary Mabel (Fry) Pake.
Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, Carnegie Institute Technology, 1945; Doctor of Philosophy, Harvard University, 1948.
Pake earned his bachelor"s and master"s degrees from the Carnegie Institute of Technology and his doctorate in physics at Harvard University in 1948. A rather serious case of scoliosis kept Pake out of the United States. Armed Forces during World World War World War II Though he never again lived in Kent after his childhood, George Pake retained deep feeling for the city of Kent, and was pleased to be asked in later years to deliver the commencement address at Kent State. After four years as a physics professor at Washington University in Saint Louis, Pake became the head of the physics department at age 28.
He later went on to become provost of the university from 1962 to 1970 before leaving to serve as founding director of Xerox Palo Alto Research Center. Palo Alto Research Center assembled a first-rate collection of research talent, especially in the area of computer science.
During Doctor Pake"s years running Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, the research center invented the laser printer and pioneered the use of a computer "desktop" which functioned by clicking on "icons." This has since become the computer industry standard. If the Xerox Corporation never chose to open a personal computer division, it was through no lack of advocacy by George Pake.
Nevertheless, the failure of that advocacy is well known in Silicon Valley circles. George Pake died of multiple systems failure on March 4, 2004 in Tucson, Arizona.
Late in life, Pake began writing two different books, both with the collaborator Andrew Szanton.
George Pake"s death interrupted both book projects.
Member governor board American Institute Physics, 1957-1959. Board directors St. Louis Research Council, 1964-1970. Member physics advisory panel National Science Foundation, 1958-1960, 63- 66.
Chairman physics survey committee National Academy Science-National Research Council, 1964-1966. Member St. Louis County Business and Indl. Development Commission, 1963-1966.
Chairman of the Board Regional Industrial Development Corporation, St. Louis, 1966-1967, St. Louis Research Council, 1967-1970. Member President's Science Advisory Committee, 1965-1969. Board of directors St. Louis Country Day School, 1964-1970, Central Institute for Deaf, 1965-1970.
Trustee Washington University, since 1970, Danforth Foundation, since 1971, U. Rochester, since 1982. Trustee Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences, Palo Alto, 1986-1992, The Exploratorium, San Francisco, since 1987. Board overseers Superconducting Super Collider, Universities Research Association, 1984-1989.
Fellow American Physical Society (president 1977). Member American Association Physics Teachers, American Association of University Professors, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Academy Arts and Sciences, National Academy Science, Sigma Xi, Tau Beta Pi.
Married Marjorie Elizabeth Semon, May 31, 1947. Children— Warren E., Catherine E., Stephen G., Bruce E.