William H. Surber Jr. *48

William Surber, professor emeritus of electrical engineering at Princeton, died Aug. 27, 2014. He was 94.

Surber graduated from the University of Richmond in 1941 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, physics, and chemistry. At Princeton he earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering in 1943. From February 1943 to July 1944, Surber was an instructor in electrical engineering at Princeton, before joining the Navy in August 1944. He served until September 1946 and had been heavily involved with the radar used on warships in the Pacific.

Returning to Princeton, Surber earned a Ph.D. in electrical engineering in 1948. He was then appointed assistant professor, rising to full professor by 1956. He twice served as acting chair of the department, and retired in 1987.

Surber was instrumental in setting up and supporting his department’s computer system. His research centered on linear servomechanisms, which control systems and computers. He was a consultant to the Curtis-Wright Corp. and the Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Surber was known for his enthusiasm for teaching, and in 1986 he was the first recipient of the department of electrical engineering’s Walter Curtis Johnson Award for teaching excellence.

Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA