Oral History: Arnold Silver (2014)

Arnold Silver was born in Queens, New York City. He spent his childhood there until moving to the Catskill Mountains at the age of nine. He earned B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Physics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). In 1957, he started work at Ford Motor Scientific Laboratory where he helped develop the Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID). He has held several positions at Ford until 1969, when he moved first to he Aerospace Corporation, and then to TRW, where he worked as as researcher, research administrator, and Principal or Chief Scientist. Following retirement in 1998, he continued as a consultant for JPL and TRW. Throughout his career, Silver’s research and technical accomplishments have helped create and contribute to the field of superconductor electronics.

In this interview, Silver discusses his research and his achievements in the field of superconductor electronics, devices, and circuits. He outlines his involvement in the development of SQUIDs at Ford Motor and his research work at the Aerospace Corporation and TRW. Reflecting on the challenges and contributions of his career, he describes the evolution of the field of superconductor electronics.