William 'Bill' Rambo
Oct. 13, 1916-Feb. 22, 2007
Stanford, California

William "Bill" Rambo, a Stanford University professor emeritus of electrical engineering who developed a device to block German radar during World War II, died at his home in Morristown, Colo., on Feb. 22, 2007. He was 90.

He taught at Stanford from 1951 to his retirement in 1972.

Rambo was born Oct. 13, 1916, in San Jose. After studying at San Jose State University for two years, he transferred to Stanford where he earned a bachelor's degree in engineering in 1938 and a master's degree in 1941.

He married Edith Dillingham in 1941.

After Rambo received his master's degree he was recruited by Stanford engineering professor Fred Terman to work at the Radio Research Laboratory at Harvard, where he developed oscillators and amplifiers for ultra-high frequencies.

As part of that work, he developed an anti-aircraft radar jammer nicknamed "Carpet." It was first used during the Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943, marking the first time U.S. forces jammed enemy radar during combat.

Rambo returned to Stanford in 1951 as a research associate under Terman and in 1958 succeeded Terman as director of Stanford Electronic Laboratories. He was appointed professor of electrical engineering in 1957.

In response to antiwar protests, Stanford ceased classified work for the military in 1969. Terman and a colleague then transferred their classified work to the Stanford Research Institute in Menlo Park, while Rambo continued to teach at Stanford.

After the death of his wife in 1988, he moved to Colorado to be closer to other family.

"He loved Stanford passionately," said his daughter, Katherine Rambo of Oro Valley, Ariz.

He is also survived by daughter Anna Rambo Dahle of Morrison, Colo., and two granddaughters.

Tags: teacher/educator