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Len Cutler (1928 - 2006)
Leonard Cutler, who worked for Hewlett-Packard Company for almost fifty years and made crucial contributions to the design of the Allen Telescope Array, passed away on September 5 at the age of 78. The cause was heart failure.
“Len was the first guy to be given the title of ‘Distinguished Contributor’ to H-P,” said Al Bagley, who worked with Cutler. “And that’s because he excelled at both science and engineering. He contributed enormously to the H-P reputation for excellence.”
A musical prodigy (he can be seen playing the piano in the 1945 movie “Anchors Aweigh”), Len earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at Stanford University, and eventually became one of the world’s leading experts on extremely accurate time and distance measurements.
“He was the king of frequency and time standards,” notes Jill Tarter. Thanks to Cutler, Hewlett-Packard became the leading manufacturer of atomic clocks and later, after he helped develop a laser interferometer, in the nanometer-accurate step-and-repeat cameras used to etch integrated circuits.
Len participated in the SETI Institute’s “2020” study into future directions for SETI research, a series of workshops that resulted in the construction of the Allen Telescope Array. Tarter recalls how willingly he would offer his insights and expertise:
“Len was a busy guy. There were always lots of people who wanted to talk to him. But he invariably made time for you. And he really helped: Len personally championed the case for H-P to support our development of the Allen Telescope Array by supplying some vitally important network analyzers."
There was, indeed, considerably more to Len than extraordinary technical proficiency. “He has many awards, but he should also have one for being such a nice guy,” remarks Bagley.
Len Cutler is survived by his wife Dotty, and two sons, Steve and Greg. He also leaves behind many at the SETI Institute who recall his charm, his intellect, and his unfailing willingness to help.
-- S. Shostak