Specialist Professor Melissa Ziobro will present a virtual lecture “Fort Monmouth’s ‘Black Brain Center’” via Zoom on Thursday, Feb. 24 at 1 p.m., an event hosted by the Middletown Township Public Library. The event is free, however, space is limited and registration is required for the event.
Ziobro, Fort Monmouth’s last command historian, will discuss the experiences and contributions of minorities at the post, including African American electrical engineer Thomas E. Daniels ’75M ’01HN and mathematical physicist Walter S. McAfee ’85HN — both served decades at Fort Monmouth and its sub-post Camp Evans in Wall and have strong connections to Monmouth University.
Daniels earned his Master of Business Administration from Monmouth in 1975 and received an honorary doctorate degree of public service in 2001. He also facilitated the partnership with the University to create the Program for Acceleration in Computer Science Careers, while his words inspired the title of the discussion stating Fort Monmouth, “was known as the Black Brain Center of the U.S.”
McAfee lectured at then Monmouth College, from 1958-75, served on the University’s Curriculum Advisory Council of the Electronics Engineering Department, and was widely known for his work on Project Diana and radar development. He was also recognized by the University with an honorary doctorate of science in 1985. Monmouth continues to commemorate McAfee’s legacy with the Dr. Walter S. McAfee ’85HN Endowed Scholarship in Science.
Ziobro will also be giving the lecture, in-person at InfoAge Science and History Museums on Sunday, Feb. 20, from 2-5 p.m. Regular museum admission applies.
