Developed early computer architectures and designed the Harvest computer, a pioneering machine for codebreaking and cryptanalysis. Contributed to the development of the first commercial computers.
James Herbert Pomerene was a renowned electrical engineer and computer pioneer who made significant contributions to the development of modern computers. He is best known for his work on the Electronic Computer Project at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) in Princeton, New Jersey, where he designed and implemented the adder portion of the arithmetic unit.
Pomerene was born on June 22, 1920, in Yonkers, New York, to Joel Pomerene and Elsie Bower. He received his BS degree in electrical engineering from Northwestern University in 1942.
In 1946, Pomerene joined the Electronic Computer Project at the IAS, under the leadership of John von Neumann. He worked alongside engineers such as Bruce Gilchrist and Y.K. Wong to design and build the IAS machine, a parallel stored program computer that served as a prototype for several other machines, including the MANIAC I, ORACLE, and ILLIAC series.
During his time at the IAS, Pomerene developed a fast adder that incorporated a speed-up technique for asynchronous adders, reducing the time for additive carryovers to propagate. This design was later incorporated into the Philco TRANSAC S2000, introduced in 1957, which was the first commercial transistorized computer.
Pomerene held 37 patents when he retired from IBM in 1993. He was appointed an IBM Fellow in 1976 and received the IEEE Edison Medal in 1993. He also received the Eckert-Mauchly Award in 2006.
Pomerene's contributions to computer engineering have had a significant impact on modern society. His work on the IAS machine and the development of the fast adder paved the way for the creation of smaller, faster, and more efficient computers.
As a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Life Fellow of the IEEE, Pomerene's legacy continues to inspire and influence future generations of engineers and computer scientists.
In 1945, Pomerene married Edythe Schwenn, and they had three children together. He passed away on December 7, 2008, in Chappaqua, New York.
Pomerene's work and legacy continue to be celebrated and recognized in the fields of electrical engineering and computer science. His contributions to the development of modern computers have had a lasting impact on our daily lives and will be remembered for generations to come.
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