Remembering Walter Robb

Age 91, New York
Passed away on March 23, 2020

Walter Robb joined General Electric in 1951 and began working at the company's Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory.

During the 1970s and 80s, Robb oversaw a number of successes at GE. He was in charge of developing the CT scanner and made marked improvements in both MRI and ultrasound machines. All three were successful.

When Robb returned to Schenectady in 1986, after spending 13 years leading GE's Medical Systems Division in Milwaukee, he was about ready to retire. He also mulled over remaining in Wisconsin and entering the political arena.

He ended up doing neither and instead became the first engineer to be named director of GE Global Research. His five predecessors had all been pure scientists.

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