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Dr. George Edward Alcorn, Jr. was born in Indianapolis, IN on 3/22/40. His father’s job as a car mechanic sparked young George’s interest in engineering. He developed the Airborne LIDAR Topographic Mapping System (ALTMS) & helped create the X-ray spectrometer.
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Image of Dr. Alcorn on the left wearing a dark gray suit & an image of the figure used to illustrate the team's invention for US Patent 4472728. Dr. George Edward Alcorn, Jr. was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on March 22, 1940, to Arletta Dixon Alcorn and George Edward Alcorn, Sr. He and his younger brother, Charles, grew up in Indanapolis. His father’s occupation as a car mechanic sparked young George’s interest in engineering, even earning a full scholarship to Occidental College in Los Angeles. Alcorn received a four-year academic scholarship as a student-athlete to Occidental College in Los Angeles, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in physics with honors, while playing basketball and football. In 1963, Alcorn earned a Master of Science in Nuclear Physics from Howard University. From 1962 to 1963, he was a research engineer for North American Rockwell, contributing to missile development. After earning a PhD in Molecular & Atomic Physics from Howard University in 1967, he became a professor in electrical engineering at his alma mater. Dr. Alcorn's best-known invention earned him the NASA-Goddard Inventor of the Year award in 1984. In addition, he developed the Airborne LIDAR Topographic Mapping System (ALTMS). An X-ray spectrometer analyzes the composition of materials by measuring the intensity of discharged X-rays when the sample is hit with an X-ray beam, making it possible for scientists to analyze the composition of a sample. #LBE #howarduniversity #ALTMS #LIDAR #georgealcorn #NASA #Sunnyside
April 24, 2025 at 4:12 PM