Analysis of a Professional : Vannevar Bush

What traits are required for you to be a professional? The first trait that I believe a professional must have is knowledge in their chosen field whether it be through education or experience. They must show that they have the knowledge required to enter that field and continue to expand that knowledge as new variables come into play. A professional must also have a strong demeanor, they must be able to work with others so that they can do their best as a team. Another trait of a professional is that they are competent in their field, their knowledge won’t mean anything if they are unable to apply it. They must have a strong sense of ethics. They should not harass other employees, think of the consequences of their actions and attempt to right their wrongs. A professional should also have a strong work ethic, when they show up for work they should be ready for work and should work hard while they are on the clock.

Today I will analyze the professionalism of Vannevar Bush. Bush was mostly known for pushing the fields of computer science along with changing the relationship between the government and the scientific community. The invention that he is most known for creating is the differential analyzer. The differential analyzer was an analog computer that could solve difficult equations quicker than it would take to solve them by hand, although they weren’t always as accurate. Another thing that he was known for is he changing the relationship between the scientific community and government. He did this by convincing president Franklin D. Roosevelt that creating a scientific organization that was funded by the government would be beneficial to the United States if it were to enter the World War 2.

The government accepted his proposal and during September 1939 created the National Defense Research Committee with Bush as the chairman of the organization. A year later he became the chairman of the Office of Scientific Research and Development where he was in charge of organizing scientist and engineers to help organize research that could help with the war against Germany. One of the most known projects that would come from the organization was the Manhattan Project. After the war he tried to convince the government that a relationship with science could be a mutually beneficial project. While his idea for the organization was turned down his proposal would lead to the creation of the National Research Foundation.

How professional was he? In terms of knowledge I believe that Vannevar Bush should be rated very highly. He had a master’s degree in Mathematics from Tufts college and a doctorate in electrical engineering from Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also had a lot of experience to expand that knowledge with, working on his first project in 1916 (working on being able to detect submarines) and would continue to be active in the field of electrical engineering until 1955. He also showed signs of developing a strong demeanor throughout his career.

A submarine-detection device that he invented during World War 1 was not adopted by the U.S. Navy, probably owing to Bush’s lack of access to government policy makers—an obstacle he would rectify in the next war (Encyclopedia Britannica 2018).

This event is what inspired him to improve his demeanor. Over the course of his career he worked on improving his connections with other people and it would eventually lead to him being able to convince President Roosevelt to create National Defence Research Committee. While he had issues with it at the beginning of his career he realized his weakness early and worked on correcting it so that he could achieve his goals. He was also very competent at his job not only as an engineer but as administrator.

His abilities as an administrator were also recognized. MIT made him a vice-president and dean of engineering in 1932 and he was appointed president of the Carnegie Institution of Washington and chairman of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics in 1939. In 1940, Bush proposed to President Franklin D Roosevelt that an organization be created to bring together the principal participants in research of military value from business, academia, and government. ( Vannevar Bush – United States History)

During World War 2 he was in charge of over six thousand scientist with the job of putting their research to use during the war. He would become a key member of many projects that would innovate the field of computer science particularly the differential analyzer. I think it’s safe to say that he was very competent during his career and that competence led to him having a very successful career. He also demonstrated that he was an ethical person with his actions post World War 2.

The direst change in this new age was forged by the atomic bomb. Even before Trinity, the first test of the bomb, Bush and Conant sought to raise the issue of postwar consequences. Bush was deeply afraid that a shortsighted attempt to monopolize atomic knowledge would only fuel an arms race, create a dangerous world, and undermine the political values central to American democracy. (Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography)

He worked with President Truman to develop an atomic policy and attempted to delay the testing of the hydrogen bomb. The fact that he continued to work on the consequences of his organization’s work showed that he had a strong sense of ethics. Bush also seems to have a strong work ethic starting back when he was in college. He was described to have worked incredibly hard to make up for an illness that he had as a child and it looks like that didn’t change with time. He was constantly working on something during his lifetime, he didn’t retire until he was 72.

Based on the research I have done Bush was a very professional man. He has taught me the value of identifying areas that you need to improve on as soon as possible. By catching them early you can develop your weakness so that they don’t hold you back from pursuing your goals. If someone were to want to become more professional, I think that Vannevar Bush would be a good person to emulate.