Erich Bloch

Erich Bloch
Erich Bloch
Born	Template:Birth date; Sulzburg, Germany
Died	November 25, 2016 (aged 91); Washington, D.C., United States
Occupation(s)	Electrical engineer, executive
Known for	IBM Stretch supercomputer, IBM System/360, Director of the National Science Foundation

Erich Bloch (January 9, 1925 – November 25, 2016) was an American electrical engineer and executive, originally from Germany. He played a key role in the creation of IBM's pioneering transistor-based supercomputer, the 7030 Stretch, as well as the influential System/360 mainframe series. Bloch held the position of director at the National Science Foundation between 1984 and 1990.

Biography

Born in 1925 in Sulzburg, Germany, Bloch was the child of Josef Bloch, a Jewish entrepreneur, and Lina Rothschild; both parents later perished during the Holocaust. During World War II, he found refuge in a Swiss camp before relocating to the United States in 1948. Bloch pursued electrical engineering studies at ETH Zurich and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Buffalo.

Beginning his career at IBM in 1952, Bloch oversaw engineering efforts for the IBM Stretch supercomputer and led several research divisions. In 1984, he was appointed director of the National Science Foundation by President Ronald Reagan. That same year, he gained election as a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences. The following year, Bloch was honored with one of the inaugural National Medal of Technology and Innovation awards recognizing his contributions to the IBM System/360.

Upon concluding his tenure at NSF, Bloch became the inaugural distinguished fellow at the Council on Competitiveness. The IEEE Computer Society awarded him the Computer Pioneer Award in 1993 for his innovations in high-performance computing. In 2002, he was presented with the Vannevar Bush Award by the National Science Board. The Computer History Museum inducted him as a Fellow in 2004, acknowledging his leadership in developing IBM’s Stretch supercomputer and Solid Logic Technology applied in System/360.

Erich Bloch passed away at 91 due to complications related to Alzheimer's disease on November 25, 2016, in Washington, D.C.

Awards

National Medal of Technology and Innovation (1985)
Computer Pioneer Award (1993)
Vannevar Bush Award (2002)
Computer History Museum Fellow (2004)

External links

Erich Bloch profile via Washington Advisory Group
Erich Bloch profile via IEEE
Erich Bloch profile via IBM