Rate My Professor Frederick Terman

Frederick Emmons Terman was an American electrical engineer, professor, and academic administrator at Stanford University. He earned a B.A. in chemistry from Stanford University in 1920 and an E.E. degree from Stanford in 1922, followed by a D.Sc. in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1924. Terman joined the Stanford faculty in 1925 as an instructor in electrical engineering and advanced to full professor and executive head of the department by 1942. He served as dean of the School of Engineering from 1944 to 1958 and as university provost from 1955 to 1965. His scholarly work focused on radio engineering, electronics, vacuum tubes, circuits, and instrumentation, and he authored the leading textbook Radio Engineering, first published in 1932 with subsequent editions through the 1960s. Terman played a central role in elevating Stanford’s engineering programs and fostering connections between the university and industry, including the establishment of Stanford Industrial Park in 1951. He received the National Medal of Science in 1975 and is recognized for his influence in developing what became known as Silicon Valley through mentorship of students such as William Hewlett and David Packard.