The Southwest Museum of Engineering, Communications and Computation (SMECC) offices are located in the old Coury House in Historic Downtown Glendale in a section known as 'Catlin Court.' The Museum was organized in memory of the late James M. Early, an electrical engineer and inventor best known for his pioneering work with transistors. Early created much of the design theory of bipolar transistors at Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, N.J., where he worked for Nobel Prizewinner William Shockley.

He joined Bell Laboratories in September 1951. During his eighteen years at Bell, he created much of the design theory of bipolar transistors, discovered the effects of space-charge layer widening ("Early effect"), created the oscillator transistor for the first U.S. satellite, led development of solar cells and transistors for Telstar I, and led the development of sealed junction technology as part of Bell Lab's first major IC work, ending his Bell Labs service as Director of the Electron Device Laboratory at Allentown, Pa. He joined Fairchild in September 1969 as leader of their research and development work. Under his direction and often with his significant personal contributions, Fairchild Research Center created the isoplanar bipolar process and the prototype of the its isoplanar memory products, created the buried channel CCD imagers which have revolutionized low light level electronic imaging, created the prototypes of the 4000C series of 15 volt CMOS, created the 100K series of ECL, and contributed to the creation of FAST. His leadership brought Fairchild the first ion implanter in a merchant semiconductor manufacturing company (1970) and the first commercial electron beam mask-making machine (MEBES 1 - 1977). He became a technical adviser in mid-1983 and retired from Fairchild at the end of 1986.

At the museum see:

• Navy GF Series - ©Dave Stinson AB5S - See what airborne transmitters preceded the ARC-5 in those 'between the war' years.
• LINC ...the Laboratory Instrument Computer Developed for biomedical research, now made and sold by Digital Equipment Corporation.
• Robotics - Heath HERO Jr. Robot Joins the staff! It Has Been Appointed Chief of Security!
• MANUAL OF INSTRUCTION IN ARMY SIGNALING 1886 - Learn about the Heliograph - Signaling by sun!
• General Electric Computers
• Explore the History of Rural Electric Cooperatives in Arizona
• Proximity Fuze History - The Radio Proximity Fuze - Optical and Magnetic Proximity Fuzes - Jamming Proximity Fuzes in World War II - Early 'Smart Bombs' At Bell Labs - Shooting Down the V-1
• A complete RCA EMT 12 Page Brochure
• A Visit to WWII Radar with Morgan Mc Mahon!
• Library Automation Tools
• Visit the old HP2000F/ 2000 Access timeshare system on display At SMECC!

We are always looking to buy books, paper, or artifacts related to RADAR and RADAR Countermeasures to add to the museum. Please contact us!