Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Choosing the best: Donald Linder graduated from Iowa State University with an electrical engineering degree in 1965. Linder credits Sputnik and the success of the American space program for the job opportunity he was given after graduation because the country was entranced with science. “Most graduating engineers got as many job offers as they wanted. I had about seven different offers before choosing Motorola,” he says.

Leading the design: In 1972, Motorola executives asked Linder and his team to create the world’s first portable phone. Linder was the primary designer leading a team of a dozen engineers. “We built it out of parts already available, some new parts, and two custom integrated circuits not even completed at the time we started the project,” says Linder. “We relied on the talent and experience of the people building each of the pieces to make it work.”  Roughly three months after the project’s initiation, the team celebrated their success: the creation of the world’s first portable phone, the DynaTAC Portable.

Global recognition: Linder and his engineering team recently were awarded the Great Moments in Engineering Award from GlobalSpec. During Linder’s career, he was named a Motorola Distinguished Innovator and was a member of Motorola’s Science Advisory Board Associates. He also earned about 15 U.S. patents and received a master’s degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Forming the future: Linder says creating the first portable phone was one of the most rewarding experiences of his career. “We did it when I was fairly young in my career and the lessons I learned in that and similar projects are what more or less formed the pattern for any future success I had,” he adds.

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