Background
He was born on July 24, 1923 in Seguin, Texas to Walter L. Schmitt and Myrtle F. (Caldwell) Schmitt.
He was born on July 24, 1923 in Seguin, Texas to Walter L. Schmitt and Myrtle F. (Caldwell) Schmitt.
He graduated from the University of Texas with a Bachelor of Surgery in physics and a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics, both in 1947 and a master"s degree in physics in 1948.
Alice died on July 17, 1956. He received a P.h.D. in physics from Rice University in 1951. He then joined General Electric as a research associate and remained with the company until his retirement in 1988.
From 1978-1986, he directed the General Electric Research and Development Center in Schenectady, New New York
In 1982, he was appointed senior vice president From 1988-1993, he was president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
During his tenure, he oversaw a $200 million fundraising campaign and saw the addition of new degree programs and research centers. In January 2000, he was appointed by New York State Governor George Pataki as chairman of the board of the New York State Office Of Science, Technology and Academic Research.
He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
American Academy of Arts and Sciences]
He served as a member of the National Science Board from 1982-1994, and as chairman from 1984-1988. He is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the 1989 recipient of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Engineering Leadership Recognition Award, the 1988 recipient of the Maurice Holland Award and 1989 recipient of the International Republican Institute Medal, both from the Industrial Research Institute, and the 1992 recipient of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Founders Meda