Our friend and colleague Dick Morley passed away on Tuesday, October 17, 2017 at the age of 84. His obit appeared in the WSJ: https://www.wsj.com/articles/richard-morley-helped-bring-factories-into-the-computer-age-1510327800
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Richard E. Morley (Dick) is a member on the Board of Directors of various companies across the United States and has been in high technology since the beginning of solid-state electronics. Mr. Morley is currently Chairman of the Board of NCMS (National Center for Manufacturing Sciences). He has a track record of consistent success in the founding of high-technology companies for which he provides initial product concept and continuing technological presence.
A nationally recognized expert in the field of computer design, artificial intelligence, automation and an authority on the factory of the future, Mr. Morley is an engineer, consultant and inventor; his inventions include the PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), now standing in the Smithsonian Institute. He holds more than twenty United States and foreign patents.
Mr. Morley is well known as a lecturer, has written extensively for such publications as Manufacturing Systems magazine and has published many works of his own. To date, his feature articles appear in Manufacturing Automation magazine. His latest book, Out of the Barn, was published in October 2002 and another book, The Technology Machine, was published in September 1999.
As founder of the angel investment group the Breakfast Club, Mr. Morley is currently an active member with this group of investors, having participated in more than 100 startup companies in the New Hampshire area.
He was former Director of Advanced Technologies for Gould, Inc., is a Gould Fellow of Science and Engineering, a Fellow of SME, Bios LP and ICS. In addition, he was awarded the 1990 Entrepreneur of the Year by Inc. magazine, Merrill Lynch and Ernst & Young. He is a 1991 recipient of The Franklin Institute's Howard N. Potts Medal, and holds the Prometheus Medal placing him into the Automation Hall of Fame. His work with the PLC ranked him third by the International IEN as the "Top 100 Most Significant Industrial Products of the 20th Century." In October 1999, ISA (the Instrumentation, Systems and Automation Society) honored him with the “Life Achievement Award” and Fortune magazine awarded him their "Heroes of Manufacturing Award" in March 2000.
Recognized as one of the giants in the field by the Engineering Society of Detroit, he has extensive experience in high-tech consulting. Mr. Morley is involved in new product development at the highest management levels.