Harry L. Van Trees

Professional contributions While working at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) during 1968-1971, Van Trees published a three-volume series of textbooks on the detection, estimation, and modulation theory. Van Trees' theory provided a "unified approach to communications, radar, and sonar."

In addition to academic work, Van Trees has also assisted with the implementation of theory into practice in several Department of Defense positions. Van Trees was initially on loan to the government by MIT, he then ended up staying for a number of projects. Van Trees was the Chief Scientist of the U.S. Air Force. He also served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (C3I). Additionally, Van Trees was the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration; Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence (C3I). From 1982-1988, Van Trees ran the Eastern Operations of M/A-Com Linkabit, a company founded by Irwin M. Jacobs and Andrew Viterbi. The M/A-Com division was sold to Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) in 1988.

In 1987, Van Trees joined George Mason University (GMU) as a Distinguished Professor of Information Technology, and Electrical and Systems Engineering. Van Trees was also the founding director of Mason's Center of Excellence in Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence (C3I). This version was revised and expanded.

Van Trees also worked with two colleagues from M/A-Com and founded CommQuest Technologies Inc. CommQuest was purchased by IBM in 1999. Van Trees and his wife established the Harry and Diane Van Trees Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Endowment at West Point. He died in Ruckersville, Virginia on December 29, 2022, at the age of 92.

Awards In 2015, Harry Van Trees was awarded the IEEE Jack S. Kilby Signal Processing Medal. The award is presented for outstanding achievement in signal processing theory, technology, or commerce. Van Trees was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in 2015.