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John H. Rubel

January 01, 1970

John H. Rubel (April 27, 1920 – January 13, 2015)[1] was a business executive in the early post-World War II years of the defense electronics industry, later serving as Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Kennedy administration. He is regarded as one of Robert McNamara's so-called whiz kids and was an early proponent of geosynchronous communications satellites.

Rubel, as shown in a Hughes advertisement in Life magazine, October 1, 1956

Rubel was born in Chicago to a well-to-do Jewish family of German origins. Following the death of his father in 1927, he moved with his mother to Los Angeles, where he attended public schools and graduated from Los Angeles High School. His undergraduate degree, in engineering, was from Caltech, in 1942.

As a sole surviving son (his brother, Robert Jack Rubel having been killed in action) Rubel could not enlist in World War II. To contribute to the war effort, Rubel and his wife Dorothy moved to Schenectady, New York, where he was a junior engineer at General Electric. Immediately after the war, he returned to Southern California to work for Lockheed Corporation as an engineer.

In 1948, Rubel joined what was essentially a start up company within Howard Hughes' industrial empire, an organization that eventually became Hughes Electronics (then a new word). By 1956, at the age of 36, he was directing most of the avionics business and managing 2000 people. Featured in a Hughes advertisement as "the new man" (that is, leader in a field that had not existed only a decade earlier—defense electronics) he began to gain national prominence. (Rubel states that Howard Hughes personally did not like the advertising campaign, which was summarily dropped.)

In 1959, still during the Eisenhower administration, Rubel was invited to become Assistant Director (to Herbert York) of Defense Research and Engineering in the Pentagon. When, after Kennedy's election, Robert McNamara became Secretary of Defense, Rubel was kept on as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, one of few outsiders to join the ranks of McNamara's whiz kids.

As Assistant Secretary of Defense, Rubel is most remembered for his early sponsorship and support of spin-stabilized geosynchronous communications satellites (notably SYNCOM I and SYNCOM II), leading directly to the government charter of COMSAT Corporation (now a unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation), the founding of the Hughes satellite manufacturing business (now a part of Boeing Corporation), and the creation of today's satellite communications industry. He also sponsored the creation of the Titan III space launch vehicle, which became a workhorse of the space industry.

After leaving the Pentagon in 1963, Rubel worked for 10 years for Litton Industries. He supervised the design of what is regarded as the world's first highly automated modern shipyard using serial production methods to produce large ships at Pascagoula, Mississippi. This shipyard, now a subsidiary of Huntington Ingalls Corp., is a major private employer on the Gulf coast. Among its first large production contracts the new shipyard produced a fleet of five LHAs (Landing Helicopter Assault ships), designed under Rubel's direction, ships with the displacement weight of a small aircraft carrier. A significant majority of U.S. Navy's surface warships have been produced in this shipyard since production began in the early 1970s.

References edit

  1. ^ "John H. Rubel Obituary". Santa Fe New Mexican. 18 January 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  • Barton C. Hacker and James M. Grimwood (1977) On the Shoulders of Titans: A History of Project Gemini, NASA Special Publication-4203 in the NASA History Series, Chapters 3-5
  • Stephen B Johnson (2002) The United States Air Force and the Culture of Innovation 1945-1965, Air Force History and Museums Program, Washington, DC, p. 206.
  • John H. Rubel (1999) Memoirs I: Oft in the Stilly Night, 1920-1942 (Key Say Publications, Tesuque, NM)
  • John H. Rubel (2001) Memoirs II: Air of Other Summers, 1942-1959 (Key Say Publications, Tesuque, NM)
  • John H. Rubel (2006) Memoirs III: Time and Chance, 1959-1976 (Key Say Publications, Tesuque, NM)

Other Books by Rubel edit

  • John H. Rubel (1998) Selected Poems, 1940-1998 (Key Say Publications, Tesuque, NM)
  • John H. Rubel (2008) Doomsday Delayed: USAF Strategic Weapons Doctrine and SIOP-62, 1959–1962, Two Cautionary Tales (Hamilton Books, Lanham, MD)
  • John H. Rubel (2009) Reflections on Fame and Some Famous Men (Sunstone Press, Santa Fe, NM)

January 01, 1970
john, rubel, april, 1920, january, 2015, business, executive, early, post, world, years, defense, electronics, industry, later, serving, assistant, secretary, defense, kennedy, administration, regarded, robert, mcnamara, called, whiz, kids, early, proponent, g. John H Rubel April 27 1920 January 13 2015 1 was a business executive in the early post World War II years of the defense electronics industry later serving as Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Kennedy administration He is regarded as one of Robert McNamara s so called whiz kids and was an early proponent of geosynchronous communications satellites Rubel as shown in a Hughes advertisement in Life magazine October 1 1956 Rubel was born in Chicago to a well to do Jewish family of German origins Following the death of his father in 1927 he moved with his mother to Los Angeles where he attended public schools and graduated from Los Angeles High School His undergraduate degree in engineering was from Caltech in 1942 As a sole surviving son his brother Robert Jack Rubel having been killed in action Rubel could not enlist in World War II To contribute to the war effort Rubel and his wife Dorothy moved to Schenectady New York where he was a junior engineer at General Electric Immediately after the war he returned to Southern California to work for Lockheed Corporation as an engineer In 1948 Rubel joined what was essentially a start up company within Howard Hughes industrial empire an organization that eventually became Hughes Electronics then a new word By 1956 at the age of 36 he was directing most of the avionics business and managing 2000 people Featured in a Hughes advertisement as the new man that is leader in a field that had not existed only a decade earlier defense electronics he began to gain national prominence Rubel states that Howard Hughes personally did not like the advertising campaign which was summarily dropped In 1959 still during the Eisenhower administration Rubel was invited to become Assistant Director to Herbert York of Defense Research and Engineering in the Pentagon When after Kennedy s election Robert McNamara became Secretary of Defense Rubel was kept on as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering one of few outsiders to join the ranks of McNamara s whiz kids As Assistant Secretary of Defense Rubel is most remembered for his early sponsorship and support of spin stabilized geosynchronous communications satellites notably SYNCOM I and SYNCOM II leading directly to the government charter of COMSAT Corporation now a unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation the founding of the Hughes satellite manufacturing business now a part of Boeing Corporation and the creation of today s satellite communications industry He also sponsored the creation of the Titan III space launch vehicle which became a workhorse of the space industry After leaving the Pentagon in 1963 Rubel worked for 10 years for Litton Industries He supervised the design of what is regarded as the world s first highly automated modern shipyard using serial production methods to produce large ships at Pascagoula Mississippi This shipyard now a subsidiary of Huntington Ingalls Corp is a major private employer on the Gulf coast Among its first large production contracts the new shipyard produced a fleet of five LHAs Landing Helicopter Assault ships designed under Rubel s direction ships with the displacement weight of a small aircraft carrier A significant majority of U S Navy s surface warships have been produced in this shipyard since production began in the early 1970s References edit John H Rubel Obituary Santa Fe New Mexican 18 January 2015 Retrieved 6 February 2015 Barton C Hacker and James M Grimwood 1977 On the Shoulders of Titans A History of Project Gemini NASA Special Publication 4203 in the NASA History Series Chapters 3 5 Stephen B Johnson 2002 The United States Air Force and the Culture of Innovation 1945 1965 Air Force History and Museums Program Washington DC p 206 John H Rubel 1999 Memoirs I Oft in the Stilly Night 1920 1942 Key Say Publications Tesuque NM John H Rubel 2001 Memoirs II Air of Other Summers 1942 1959 Key Say Publications Tesuque NM John H Rubel 2006 Memoirs III Time and Chance 1959 1976 Key Say Publications Tesuque NM Other Books by Rubel editJohn H Rubel 1998 Selected Poems 1940 1998 Key Say Publications Tesuque NM John H Rubel 2008 Doomsday Delayed USAF Strategic Weapons Doctrine and SIOP 62 1959 1962 Two Cautionary Tales Hamilton Books Lanham MD John H Rubel 2009 Reflections on Fame and Some Famous Men Sunstone Press Santa Fe NM Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John H Rubel amp oldid 994225653, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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