Institute of Optics: John Cushing Evans papers

John Cushing Evans (1918-2008) was born in Buffalo, New York, and grew up in Hemlock, New York. He graduated from the University of Rochester in 1939 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Optics and in 1949 with a Master of Science degree. He worked at the Eastman Kodak Company from 1939 to 1945, first in the Research Lab and later in the Testing Department. In April 1945, he worked for the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics on development for the National Defense Research Committee (NDRC). In 1948 he became an assistant professor at the Institute, and in 1955 he was promoted to associate professor. In 1953 Evans founded Tropel (later Corning Tropel), an optics supply company for the semiconductor industry, with Robert Hopkins and Jim Anderson. In 1967 he founded Velmex Inc., an optics company that produces positioning systems equipment.