Worcester Polytechnic Institute

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Notable alumni

WPI's best-known alumnus is Robert Goddard, who graduated in 1908 and is widely regarded as the Father of Modern Rocketry.

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Another successful graduate is Robert Stempel, inventor of the catalytic converter and former Chairman and CEO of General Motors. A third important alumni is Harold Stephen Black who revolutionized electronics by inventing the negative feedback amplifier in 1927. WPI is also known for its famous drop-outs. Dean Kamen, who left the school without finishing his degree, invented the first portable insulin pump and the Segway Human Transporter. Atwater Kent, who dropped out twice in the 1890s, went on to found the Atwater Kent Manufacturing Company which was the world's leading producer of radios in the late 1920s. In Japan, a famous alumnus is Kotaro Shimomura, chemical engineer. After graduating, he became president of Doshisha University and Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.

Related Topics:
Robert Stempel - General Motors - Harold Stephen Black - Dean Kamen - Atwater Kent - Kotaro Shimomura - Doshisha University

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The Institute of Transportation Engineers highest award is the Burton W. Marsh Award. Marsh is a member of the Class of 1920 and credited with being America's first traffic engineer.

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For more information on notable alumni, please see the WPI Library's Online Exhibition of Distinguished Alumni

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