George Churchill Comstock

Narrative:

     George Churchill Comstock was born on 3 May 1911 in Peoria, Illinois.^9,10,11 He appeared on the 1920 Federal Census of Peoria, Peoria Co., Illinois, in the household of his parents, Clarence Elmer Comstock and Lucia Gary Driggs.⁵ He appeared on the 1930 Federal Census of Peoria, Peoria Co., Illinois, in the household of his parents.⁶
     George received a B.S. degree from Bradley Polytechnic Institute, Peoria, in 1932, now Bradley University. He was later recognized by the University by making him a member of the Centurion Society, established to recognize "alumni who have brought national and international credit to the University."^18,19
     George married Florence Bernice Glabe, daughter of William Frederick Glabe and Estella Pearl Watson, on 18 Aug 1934 in Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois.^9,12,13
     After their marriage, George and Florence lived in Chicago, Illinois.²⁰ He received a Ph. D degree in physics from University of Chicago in 1938.²¹
     After he received his doctorate degree George, Florence and their young son Ronald moved to Charleston, South Carolina, where he was an assistant professor of physics at the Citadel until 1942.^22,23 George and Florence appeared on the 1940 Federal Census of Charleston, Charleston Co., South Carolina, at the Citadel, enumerated 10 Apr 1940, reporting they rented their home for $35 per month. Their son Ronald was listed as living with them.²⁴
     George joined the staff of the Radiation Laboratory at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1942, and they moved to 15 Garrison Rd., Belmont, Massachusetts. He was engaged in the early development of radars and instrument landing systems. In 1943 he was in charge of the electronics engineering for the original Ground Controlled Approach radar. Subsequently, he served in Europe as the project Leader for the GCA group.^21,25,26 It was likely this role that found him on a Pan American Airways flight from Foynes, Eire to New York, arriving 19 Sep 1943 after an overnight flight. He was identified on the passenger records as a "government official."²⁷ Family lore that described his war-time work as so secret that he slept with his brief case under his pillow may have been only slightly exaggerated.²⁸
     After the war George and Florence and their two sons moved to Oyster Bay, New York, on Long Island.²⁹
     In 1946 George joined Airborne Instruments Laboratory, a newly formed company that had grown out of the war-time organization of the same name formed at Columbia University. He was initally an assistant supervising engineer of the Air Navigation and Traffic Control Section, and became supervising engineer of the Operational Development Section in 1950. In the census that year he had worked 40 hours the prior week and working 50 weeks in 1949, earning $10,000 in wages or salary. He was named vice president in 1960. The company was acquired by Cutler-Hammer, and in 1969 become known as AIL, a division of Cutler-Hammer.^21,30,31
     He served on many Department of Defense research and development committees and working groups. He was a member of the Weapons Systems Evaluation Group on special defense studies, of the Air Defense Panel of the Presidential Scientific Advisory Committee, and in 1961 he served on the Project Beacon Task Force on Air Traffic Control for the Administrator of the FAA and the President.²¹
     George and Florence appeared on the 1950 Federal Census of Oyster Bay, Nassau Co., New York, enumerated 26 Apr 1950, reporting they lived in a home that was not on a farm. Their three children were listed as living with them.³²
     George died on 16 Nov 1971 in Glen Cove, New York, at age 60.^14,15 He was buried in Locust Valley Cemetery, Locust Valley, Nassau Co., New York.¹⁶