IEEE Power Electronics Society History
Message from the Historian

Rationale for accepting position of historian for second time - Jerrold Foutz
Problem. As the founding Historian for the IEEE Power Electronics Society (1988-1989) I ran into the frustration of gathering boxes of information and photographs and not having the time to sort, organize, or make them available to others. Phil Hower accepted the position and served through 1995. I am sure he experienced the same frustrations.

Proposed Solution. When I was asked to resume the position, at first, I was reluctant to do so -- until I rethought the problems in light of the Internet World Wide Web and the fact that the society has its own server.

Hypertext Paradigm. The Internet World Wide Web uses hypertext to organize and link material. One of the characteristics of the hypertext paradigm is that it allows you to store large amounts of information and mask it for various users so they can find the information they want without cognitive overload. The society server can act as an efficient storage mechanism, and web pages can make the information available to members to the extent it interests them. It is also available instantaneously -- as soon as a file is uploaded and linked, anyone worldwide can access it.

Help Needed. It sounds good, but will it work? To make it work, I will need your help.

Information Annealing. My intent is to put up pages rapidly. They will initially contain errors, omissions, and need wordsmithing. When you read the history pages let me know of errors immediately. If your server supports forms, the PageMaster link at the bottom of every page will open an email form and you can let me know instantaneously with little effort on your part. PLEASE do this.

Omissions. You will also see omissions. When you do, send me an "As I remember it." message by email or any other format of your choice. It will become part of the historical record, I will update the history, and you will get credit for your contribution. This takes more effort on your part - but again, please do this while it is fresh in your mind.

Sharing. If you are an old timer, please share your early memories with us before they are lost. Any form is acceptable.

Be Aware. If you are an officer or member of the Society, please become aware of events and documents of historical interest. Take time to photograph, copy, or record them for historical purposes and send the results to the History Chair.

Under Construction. Finally, be patient. I have hundreds of photographs I can scan and boxes of documents I can cull for information to add to the site, and like most volunteers, my time is limited. However, with your help, we can make this work.

How to Communicate. Email is the preferred method of communication. If your server supports forms you can use the email link at the bottom of each page to make it easy. Alternately, you can use the contact information below.

 
Jerrold Foutz, Historian
IEEE Power Electronics Society
c/o SMPS Technology, P.O. Box 871
Alta Loma, CA 91701-0871
USA
TEL: (909) 944-9111; FAX: Same - call first
http://www.cyberg8t.com/smpstech
Email: smpstech@cyberg8t.com

 

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