Vannevar Bush --- lived from 1890-1974. This man, Truman's scientific advisor, would be the one to lay down the concept of hypertext, which would later be further enhanced by Ted Nelson. Vannevar has done various studies, the alien conspiracy included. Supposedly, he was the one who named the living alien EBE (Extraterrestrial Biological Entity). Other than that, he wrote a ground-breaking article entitled "As We May Think."

Bush's Earlier Years

He did undergraduate study at Tufts College. In 1913, "his master's thesis included the invention of the Profile Tracer, used in surveying work to measure distances over uneven ground (from Vannevar Bush Bio)." Later in 1919, he joined MIT's Department of Electrical Engineering; he spent twenty-five years there. 1932 promised him a position of vice-president and dean in the department.

Bush's Later Years

Vannevar took on a few positions in the 1939:

1) President of the Carnegie Institute in Washington, D.C.

2) Chair of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics

3) Director of Office of Scientific Research and Development

In the time known as World War II, "Bush worked on radar antenna profiles and the calculation of artillery firing tables (from Vannevar Bush Bio)."

Memex

Bush's most famous invention, which was publicized in the Atlantic Monthly in the year 1945, was Memex. See Memex for more details (select Memex on the side navigation menu).