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NoShortClimb
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 Robert Johnson Jr.  |
An Oral History of African-Americans and the Development of Radar Defense Technology at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey 1940-1959 Copyright and |
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The DVD based on the work of Professor Robert Johnson Jr., who conducted a
series of oral histories in the early 1990s, will be shown at the Marconi Hotel
at 6:00 PM on February 21, 2008. This DVD highlights the resourcefulness,
productivity, and patriotism of men and women of African American heritage who
worked at Camp Evans. Camp Evans was Fort Monmouth’s secret radar laboratory.
The showing is sponsored by the New Jersey Coast Section of the IEEE (Institute
of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.) and InfoAge. The IEEE is the
world's leading professional association for the advancement of technology.
During the great civil rights struggles of the 1960s as the Reverend Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. was leading marches for civil rights many persons with
African American heritage were employed at Camp Evans. Some were Ph.Ds,
accomplished engineers, decorated officers and respected managers. They were the
heads of top secret defense projects, held top secret clearances, and helped
develop advanced radar and defense systems that would protect America during the
Cold War. How did they achieve these positions? Given the times, where did they
come from?
As World War Two was approaching the U.S. Army Signal Corps
faced the massive need for trained and experienced radio engineers and
scientists. They hired qualified persons regardless of race or religion. Given
the opportunity to achieve and contribute persons with African American heritage
excelled. They demonstrated the spirit and personal heroism that would help win
World War Two. WW2 photos of Camp Evans staff testify to the level of
integration. Personal photos show smiling, resolute, co-workers united in the
goal to save democracy.
A stellar example is Dr. Walter McAfee, a
mathematician, who would help in the development of radar with radar beam
coverage and reflection intensity calculations. After the war his work would
help to open the space age as a Camp Evans staff member who played a key roll in
Project Diana. President Eisenhower personally awarded Dr. McAfee a scholarship
to Harvard to complete his work toward a Ph.D degree as an Astro-physicist.
Author Thomas Daniels would write in 1988, "The original 20 Black
engineers and physicists who arrived at Fort Monmouth in the early 1940s set a
blazing trail of technical accomplishments for the U.S. Army and set the pace
for those Blacks who followed." He observed, "Current books on Black inventors,
scientists or engineers fail to mention the many inventions, developments and
advancements made in radar, avionics, communication, satellites, electronic
warfare, infrared, solid state, computer science, meteorology and electronic
components by both civilians and military, particularly at Fort Monmouth."
Hopefully Professor Robert Johnson Jr.’s worked will help communicate
and bring honor to the excellent accomplishments of Camp Evans staff during WW2
and the Cold War.
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The DVD is available in our gift
shop at: 2201 Marconi Road, Wall, NJ 07719 Individuals: $25.00 Institutions: $65.00 If you can not visit our gift store you may purchase the DVD directly from Professor Robert Johnson Jr's website with PayPal Click here to go to http://www.noshortclimb.com/ |
Page updated February 12,
2008
- Page created February 12,
2008
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