Wen Tsing Chow
Wen Tsing Chow | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1918 Taiyuan, Shanxi, China |
| Died | 2001 |
| Alma mater | National Chiao Tung University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Occupation(s) | Electrical engineer, inventor |
| Known for | Programmable read-only memory (PROM), missile guidance systems, digital computing for aerospace |
Wen Tsing Chow (; 1918–2001) was a Chinese-born American expert in missile guidance and a pioneer in digital computing, recognized for creating programmable read-only memory (PROM).
Biography
Chow was born in Taiyuan, Shanxi in 1918. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from National Chiao Tung University (currently Shanghai Jiao Tong University) in 1940, followed by a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1942.
During his tenure at the Arma Division of American Bosch Arma Corporation, Chow played a pivotal role in advancing digital computer technology tailored for missile, satellite, and spacecraft navigation. He spearheaded the development of the all-inertial guidance system and its onboard digital computer for the United States Air Force SM-65 Atlas E/F ICBM—the first airborne digital computer produced for operational use. Additionally, he engineered the initial all-solid-state, highly reliable digital computer designed for space applications, laying foundational system methodologies for U.S. ICBM guidance technology.
Chow is credited with inventing and securing a patent for programmable read-only memory (PROM), which he originally named the "constants storage matrix." This innovation was specifically created for the Atlas E/F ICBM’s airborne digital computer.
In the 1960s and early 1970s, Chow continued to enhance missile and spacecraft digital computing at the Aerospace Corporation, contributing to projects such as Gemini and Minuteman. Later, at IBM, he worked on computing systems for the B-1 and B-52 bombers, Saturn V rocket, Skylab space station, and the AP-101 digital computer used in the Space Shuttle.
Distinctively, Chow’s expertise influenced guidance computers and systems across every significant USAF ICBM and NASA manned space initiative—from Atlas through Titan, Gemini, Saturn, Skylab, Minuteman, up to the Space Shuttle—shaping fundamental aerospace technologies that remain influential today.
In recognition of his contributions, the U.S. Air Force posthumously awarded Chow the Air Force Space and Missiles Pioneers Award in 2004. This honor has been bestowed on only 30 individuals and includes a select group of civilians; Chow is one of just two computer scientists to receive it, alongside John von Neumann.
External links
- Short description with empty Wikidata description
- 1918 births
- 2001 deaths
- Chinese emigrants to the United States
- IBM employees
- MIT School of Engineering alumni
- National Chiao Tung University (Shanghai) alumni
- American electrical engineers
- Chinese electrical engineers
- Scientists from Shanxi
- People from Taiyuan
- Missile guidance
- 20th-century American inventors
- 20th-century Chinese inventors