James L. Flanagan: A Scholar and a True Gentleman [Reflections]

James L. Flanagan J ames (Jim) L. Flanagan was born 26 August 1925 and grew up on a cotton farm in Greenwood, Mississippi. He graduated from high school in 1943 and completed his freshman year at Mississippi State University before joining the U.S. Army at age 18. He returned home about three years later, picked up his studies with the help of the G.I. Bill, and graduated with a B.S. degree in electrical engineering. He continued his education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he received the M.S. and doctor of science degrees in electrical engineering in 1950 and 1955, respectively. He was assistant professor of electrical engineering at Mississippi State University (1950–1952) and an electronic scientist at the Air Force Cambridge Research Lab (1955–1957). In 1957, he joined AT&T Bell Laboratories. He was with Bell Laboratories for 33 years, retiring in 1990 as director, Information Principles Research Laboratory. Subsequently, Jim served 15 years as a Board of Governors professor and university vice president for research at Rutgers University, New Jersey. Jim retired from Rutgers in 2005 at the age of 80. I first met Jim Flanagan in 1963 when I was given the opportunity to join his department as a fresh new MIT cooperative (co-op) education student. Jim quickly became my mentor, boss, colleague, and, most of all, friend. I knew him for more than 50 years, and it has been an honor and a privilege to know the man as well and as long as I did.