Each member of the SRI Alumni Hall of Fame has made a lasting contribution to SRI. George Abrahamson has never stopped contributing to SRI—and probably never will. George started at SRI in 1953 as a machinist for Dr. Thomas Poulter. His Ph.D. thesis research was conducted during 1957 in the backyard of Poulter Lab’s original home, the tarpaper shacks along the back fence. The key ingredients were a clothesline, a water hose, and a pan of silly putty. George’s thesis and early papers were the first to describe the phenomenon of explosive (or impact) welding. In the late 1950s, virtually single-handedly, George developed a program for the Air Force to simulate the effects of nuclear weapons on re-entry vehicles. He led a team that made SRI a key developer and tester of vulnerability and lethality criteria for our missile and ABM systems exposed to nuclear attack.
As director of Poulter Lab, George led development of many innovative uses of high explosives and propellants. Many of his ideas in scale modeling of dynamic phenomena are in constant use today in Poulter Laboratory and throughout the world. George held Poulter Lab together during the lean years of decreased defense funding, and he spurred the staff to move into more work for commercial and international clients. Poulter Lab has now survived for almost 50 years.
In 1980, George became Vice President of the Physical Sciences Division and, in 1988, Senior Vice President of the Sciences Group. He retired in 1991 to be Chief Scientist of the Air Force, then returned to SRI in 1994 as a Senior Technical Advisor. In 1999, he provided temporary leadership of the Physical Sciences Division during a difficult transition period. George is now a world expert in designing performance review and compensation methods, based on the ideas he developed at SRI. These methods are being implemented in the U. S. military and by at least one foreign corporation. George helped form and currently leads the SRI Alumni Association.
George was best known for his success in gaining—and keeping—the trust and respect of clients. His motto was, “Always give your clients more than they paid for. But at the beginning, promise them as little as possible.” George Abrahamson is a model of the ideal SRI citizen; he has helped us all to have a lot of excitement and fun and continues to do so.