Zraket, Charles A., 1924-1997

Charles A. Zraket (1924-1997), B.S., Northeastern University, 1951, M.S., MIT, 1953, was the President and CEO of the MITRE Corporation from 1986 to 1990. Zraket spent his professional career serving in management positions in systems and research engineering and was involved in the acquisition of large-scale electronic systems for defense, intelligence, space, air traffic control and other civil systems, as well as energy and environmental systems.

Zraket was born on January 9, 1924, in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He served with the U.S. Army in the 102nd Infantry Division in Europe during World War II, earning two purple hearts, a bronze star and the combat infantry badge. After the war, he studied at Northeastern University on the G.I. Bill, and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in 1951. He earned a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from MIT in 1953. While a student at MIT, Zraket joined the MIT Digital Computer Laboratory. After graduation, Zraket joined MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory, working there from 1953 to 1958 and helping to develop the AN/FSQ-7 intercept computer.

Zraket joined MITRE at its founding in 1958, working on the SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment) air defense system and serving as Department Head of Advanced Systems Development, Associate Technical Director of Command and Control Systems, and then Technical Director of the Systems Planning and Research Division. He moved from MITRE's Bedford headquarters to Washington D.C. in 1963 to establish a MITRE division to support the Department of Defense’s Defense Communications Agency (DCA), serving as the first technical director of that division. Zraket also helped to create a MITRE division to perform system engineering for the FAA for their new National Airspace System project. In 1965, he became Technical Director of the Air Traffic Systems Division and then served as Vice President of Washington Operations from 1967 to 1969 and Senior Vice President from 1969 to 1974. In 1974, Zraket returned to Bedford as Senior Vice President of Technical Operations, taking on responsibility for the corporation's technical activities. Four years later he became MITRE's Executive Vice President and a member of the Board of Trustees. In 1986, Zraket succeeded Robert Everett as President and CEO. In 1986 and 1987, Zraket and Executive Vice President Barry Horowitz initiated a major reorganization in MITRE's C3I operations, both in Bedford and Washington. After retiring in 1990, Zraket continued as a MITRE Trustee and served as a member of the Technical Advisory Committee. He also served as a trustee of Mitretek Systems Inc., a MITRE spin-off.

Zraket was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1991. He was a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and served on the National Research Council. Zraket was awarded the MIT Distinguished Corporate Leadership Award (1985), the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service (1993), the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Reed Aeronautics Award (1993), and the Air Traffic Control Association Medallion Award. He advised President Ronald Reagan on his Strategic Defense Initiative and Pope John Paul II as a member of the Pontifical Science Academy (1984-1985). He died on December 3, 1997 at the age of 73.