Charyk, Joseph V. (Joseph Vincent), 1920-

Joseph Vincent Charyk was a leader in the development of satellite technology. The son of Ukrainian immigrants, he graduated from the University of Alberta, Canada in 1942 and received his Ph.D in Aeronautics from the California Institute of Technology in 1945. He was an instructor at Princeton University, California Institute of Technology, and specifically at the Cal Tech Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He also worked for Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in the 1950s. In 1963 he helped found and following incorporation became president and a director of Communications Satellite Corporation (COMSAT). In 1979, he was elected Chief Executive Officer and then served as Chairman of the Board of Directors from May 1983 until his retirement in October 1985. As Chief Executive Officer, Charyk was responsible for the overall management of the corporation and the chairmanship of the Board of Directors. In 1973, he was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering.