Erich Bloch, a computational pioneer whose competitive zeal and commercial bent helped transform the National Science Foundation while he was its director, died last Friday at age 91. Bloch was a productive force to be reckoned. During his long stint at IBM, prior to joining NSF, Bloch spearheaded development of the “Stretch” supercomputer and IBM’s phenomenally successful System/360.

An obituary in The Washington Post provides a good account of Bloch’s life and achievements (Erich Bloch, IBM pioneer who later led National Science Foundation, dies at 91, written by Emily Langer). NSF also has a memorial article (NSF celebrates the life of former director Erich Bloch).

Here’s a brief excerpt from the Post article: “The only child in a German-Jewish family, Mr. Bloch was orphaned during the Holocaust, survived the war years in Switzerland at a home for young refugees, and immigrated to the United States in 1948. He put himself through night school while pumping gas and cleaning laboratory equipment.

“In 1952, he joined IBM in New York, where he established himself as a preeminent engineer in computing — and where he sharpened a competitive streak that he took to the sometimes fusty halls of government. As NSF director from 1984 to 1990, Mr. Bloch was credited with transforming the agency from a benefactor mainly of pure research into an engine of practical advancement.”

Current NSF director France Córdova said, “We lost an important member of the foundation’s family. Erich Bloch was a visionary leader who pushed the boundaries, championing research that led to some of the greatest innovations of our time. On behalf of the agency and our NSF community at large, we extend our deepest sympathies to his family.”

Bloch’s life story is one of determination and achievement. He ruffled feathers during his tenure at NSF steering it away from supporting only academic basic research to also advancing commercial and national competitiveness goals. He is quoted in the Post article, “A lot of people are upset about that kind of approach to life. They say science is international, so who cares who does it…I say science is no more international than commerce is…I think it’s a highly competitive field, I don’t apologize for it.”

Also from the WP article: “Bill Harris, who served at NSF as assistant director for math and physical sciences, credited the approach with saving the NSF from possible elimination during federal belt-tightening. Mr. Bloch persuaded Reagan administration officials not only to spare it, but even to increase its budget. Under Mr. Bloch, the NSF emphasized fields such as computer science, engineering and biotechnology. He oversaw the creation of NSFNET, a precursor to the modern Internet, and the establishment at universities of engineering research centers as well as science and technology centers — long-term collaborations among the public, private and academic sectors to tackle complex matters such as laser applications and earthquake prediction and engineering.”

Bloch was chief engineer of IBM’s “Stretch” supercomputer, so named because it stretched what were then the limits of computing. Introduced in 1961 with a $10 million price tag, it was used initially by the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the National Security Agency and was the most powerful computer at the time. “Later that decade, Mr. Bloch helped develop the IBM System/360, a family of models that are the ancestors of today’s mainframes. Fred Brooks, one of two IBM colleagues who shared with Mr. Bloch a 1985 National Medal of Technology and Innovation, credited Mr. Bloch with managing the development of the computer’s processing chips, called Solid Logic Technology,” reported the Post article.

Bloch served a full six-year term as director, from 1984 to 1990. Among his many achievements at NSF, he was also instrumental in creating NSF’s Engineering Research Center and Science and Technology Center programs, which build collaborations that address national-level challenges in science and engineering and spur economic development.

Link to the full Washington Post article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/erich-bloch-ibm-pioneer-who-later-led-national-science-foundation-dies-at-91/2016/11/28/4c0b9b84-b4af-11e6-b8df-600bd9d38a02_story.html?utm_term=.06227306d9d1

Link to NSF article: https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=190482

Link IEEE Bloch summary biography: http://history.computer.org/pioneers/bloch.html