The Rise and Fall of Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories

By Edward E. Altshuler

This monograph provides a chronological account of how a fledgling research laboratory, which evolved from the MIT Radiation Laboratory and the Harvard Radio Research Laboratory after World War II, rose to become one of the premier research laboratories in the world as evidenced by its major accomplishments throughout its 66 year history. After many years of outstanding productivity the laboratory began to slowly decline. Even though the downsizing began in1974, the Hanscom Field Site continued to be very productive until its final days. In 2005 it was placed on the Base Realignment And Closure (BRAC) list and in August 2011 it was closed. Many of the major events that led to this decline were politically motivated. I had the privilege of collaborating with outstanding scientists from May 1960 to May 2011 and was blessed with a very rewarding career. One of the most ironic outcomes of the AFCRL history was the fact that when the laboratory was first established, the original plan was to move the new laboratory to Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio in 1946; this move actually occurred 65 years later. Also, after the Geophysics Research Directorate (GRD), was moved from New Jersey to Cambridge, MA in July 1948, there were numerous attempts to move GRD to Kirtland AFB. This also occurred in 2011.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1481832514
• ISBN13: 9781481832519
• Release Date: January 2013
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 254 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.0" x 0.6" x 8.0"