Archie W. Straiton (B.S. Electrical Engineering 1929; M.A. Physics 1931; Ph.D. Physics 1939) taught at UT Austin for nearly 50 years and helped found the Department of Electrical Engineering. He married Esther McDonald in 1932, and they had two daughters, Janelle Holman and Carolyn Erlinger, six grandchildren, and eleven great grandchildren. Dr. Straiton passed away on July 22, 2000.
Dr. Straiton was a distinguished professor in the field of electromagnetic waves, and In 1945 he founded the Electrical Engineering Lab at the Balcones Research Center (now the J.J. Pickle Research Campus) and served as its director until 1970. He was a pioneer in radio waves and satellite communication and in 1958, he was the first to accomplish an intercontinental microwave moon bounce, communicating between Malvern, England and the United States. He was also an outstanding teacher, who was respected and loved by his students. At the time of his retirement he had supervised more graduate students than any other faculty member in the department.
From 1931 to 1943, Dr. Straiton taught at Texas A & I University at Kingsville, and in 1943 he joined the faculty of The University of Texas at Austin. He served as Chairman of the Electrical Engineering Department from 1966 to 1971 and as Acting Dean of the Graduate School and Vice-President from 1972 to 1973. He became Ashbel Smith Professor Emeritus in 1989.
Dr. Straiton was a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He was Regional Director of the Institute of Radio Engineers in 1953 and 1954. He was a three term member of the USA National Committee of the International Radio Engineers and served as Chairman of its Commission for one term. He received the Presidential Citation from UT Austin in 1982 and the Distinguished Engineering Graduate Award in 1984, as well as a lifetime teaching excellence award. In 1990, he was awarded the prestigious IEEE Edison Medal "For an outstanding career in electrical engineering with significant contributions in the fields of radio propagation and astronomy, and in engineering education."
Between 1979 and 1991, Dr. Straiton established a number of Endowed Presidential Scholarships and Endowed Graduate Fellowships for the continued benefit of the Cockrell School of Engineering.
