Hendrik Wade Bode

Hendrik Wade Bode (pronounced Boh-dee in English, Boh-dah in Dutch), (24 December 1905 – 21 June 1982) was an American engineer, researcher, inventor, author and scientist, of Dutch ancestry. As a pioneer of modern control theory and electronic telecommunications he revolutionized both the content and methodology of his chosen fields of research.

He made important contributions to the design, guidance and control of anti-aircraft systems during World War II and continuing post-WWII during the Cold War with the design and control of missiles and anti-ballistic missiles.

In addition, his research impacted many other engineering disciplines and laid the foundation for a diverse array of modern innovations such as computers, robots and mobile phones among others.

Bode was one of the great engineering philosophers of his era. Long respected in academic circles worldwide, he is also widely known to modern engineering students mainly for developing the asymptotic magnitude and phase plot that bears his name, the Bode plot.

His research contributions in particular were not only multidimensional but far reaching as well, extending as far as the U.S. space program.