Oral history interview with Robert W. Allington 13 November 2001

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Oral history interview with Robert W. Allington 13 November 2001

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/62751674

Robert W. Allington begins the interview with a sketch of his family history. His father, a scientist for the United States Department of Agriculture, and later at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln [UNL], encouraged Allington's interest in science. During his adolescence, Allington developed his skills in electronics through building radios, among other things, and by working as a television repairman. He worked as an intern at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory on the SAGE air defense computer in the spring of 1955. Near the conclusion of the internship Allington was diagnosed with polio, and throughout the interview describes the effect of the disease on his life. While still in the hospital, he met his future business partner, Jacob Schafer, an undergraduate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Jobs repairing scientific equipment evolved into projects to fulfill requests from his clients for novel instrumentation. This led Allington to become an entrepreneur. He completed his master's degree in electrical engineering at UNL, having taken an unusually large number of chemistry courses for an electrical engineer. Allington abandoned his original intention of a career in academic research to found Instrumentation Specialties Company [Isco]. Originally creating specialized instruments on request, the company gradually evolved into two major divisions, separation and environmental instrumentation. Robert Allington remained active in the research and innovation behind product development even as chief executive officer of his company. He concludes the interview by sharing recollections of his personal life and briefly discussing his future plans

sound recordings: cassettes ( mins.)Transcript : ( 59 leaves) ; 29 cm.

Chemical Heritage Foundation, Othmer Library of Chemical History

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SNAC Resource ID: 7868681

Chemical Heritage Foundation, Othmer Library of Chemical History

Related Entities

There are 7 Entities related to this resource.

University of Nebraska - Lincoln

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6gv6f1w (corporateBody)

The University of Nebraska was founded on February 15, 1869. At that time the state legislature met in Omaha and unanimously approved a University charter in order to claim federal lands allocated under the Morrill Act of 1862. The University's location in Lincoln was provided for in an act of 1867 which also located the state capital there. From the description of General University records, 1871-2000. (University of Nebraska - Lincoln). WorldCat record id: 44422439 The Uni...

Instrumentation Specialites Company.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6rz76vn (corporateBody)

Van Ness, John R

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Thackray, Arnold, 1939-....

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Chemical Heritage Foundation.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6jq5h3g (corporateBody)

Allington, R. W. (Robert W.)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w65b7njh (person)

Born in Madison, Wisconsin on 18 September 1935. Education: B.S., electrical engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (1959), M.S., electrical engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (1961). Employment: 1952 M & M TV Clinic, 1953 Lincoln TV Center; 1953-55 University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1955 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Intern), 1958- Instrumentation Specialities Company (Isco,Inc.). From the description of Oral history interview with Robert W. Allington 13 Nove...

Allington, R. W. (Robert W.)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w65b7njh (person)

Born in Madison, Wisconsin on 18 September 1935. Education: B.S., electrical engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (1959), M.S., electrical engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (1961). Employment: 1952 M & M TV Clinic, 1953 Lincoln TV Center; 1953-55 University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1955 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Intern), 1958- Instrumentation Specialities Company (Isco,Inc.). From the description of Oral history interview with Robert W. Allington 13 Nove...