Dr. Gerry Dinneen (October 23, 1924 - May 30, 2012) began his professional career at Goodyear Aircraft, developing applications of analog computers for real-time control systems. In 1953 he joined Lincoln Laboratory and began a distinguished 24-year career as a technical innovator in digital computing, a leader in the development of the first solid-state computers, a visionary in secure military communications, and eventually the director of Lincoln Laboratory for seven years.

Dinneen applied Boolean algebra to program the computer to carry out tasks related to air defense systems. He also explored the humanlike behavior of machines, a field now known as artificial intelligence. Early in the 1950s, when the advent of transistors was enabling smaller computers, he was one of the designers of a new, all solid-state general-purpose computer that permitted the real-time control of an advanced radar - a novel concept at the time.

In 1977, shortly after the inauguration of President Jimmy Carter, Dinneen was nominated assistant secretary of defense. In this capacity, he was responsible for communications, command and control, and intelligence. During his four years at the Department of Defense, he maintained a strong involvement with communication satellites and held primary responsibility for them within the department. He also had oversight responsibility for the Global Positioning System, a navigation system that was designed for both aircraft and ground vehicles and was subsequently advanced to the point where it could be used by individuals on the ground.

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