Rash's Surname Index
Notes for Iredell Jr. EACHUS
Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA) - December 16, 2005
Deceased Name: Iredell Eachus Jr., 85, worked on the ENIAC
Iredell Eachus Jr., 85, an electrical engineer and computing and radar pioneer who lived in Bala Cynwyd for most of his adult life, died Tuesday of myelodysplasia, a blood disease, at Sunrise Assisted Living of Haverford.
Mr. Eachus was born in Bryn Mawr. He had lived in Clearwater, Fla., with his son David since his wife of 62 years, Helen, died in January.
His family said he was a member of the team that developed and built the first general-purpose electronic computer, the ENIAC, which stands for "Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer."
According to the University of Pennsylvania, where it was developed, ENIAC laid the foundation for the modern computing industry.
He graduated from Radnor High School and received two degrees from Penn's Moore School of Engineering.
Immediately afterward, his son said, Mr. Eachus received a direct commission from President Roosevelt as a Navy ensign and was assigned to the naval research labs in Washington, where he was involved in developing classified technology for weapons systems and communications devices for the war effort.
After the war, he returned to Penn, where he became part of the ENIAC team.
During the Cold War, Mr. Eachus established the consulting firm Eachus Associates. He helped build controls that allowed ground stations to track and communicate with satellites and space vehicles, his son said.
In 1959, he succeeded his father as president of a family business, the Macbeth Arc Lamp Co. in Philadelphia. It was a manufacturer of process lighting in the graphic-arts industry.
The children asked for homework help "with great trepidation," David Eachus said, "because the answer was always three hours long. . . . But you understood the subject matter completely when you walked away."
After retiring in 1986, Mr. Eachus and his wife moved to Cambridge, Md.
In addition to David, Mr. Eachus is survived by another son, Robert; daughters, Alison, Meredith Eachus Armstrong, and Lola Judith Chaisson; eight grandchildren; and a great grandchild.
Services will be at 11 a.m. tomorrow in the Chapel of Peace at West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd.
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