Phillip Hagar Smith


Phillip Hagar Smith was an electrical engineer, who became famous for his invention of the Smith chart. Smith graduated from Tufts College in 1928 with a BS degree in electrical engineering. While working for Bell Telephone Laboratories, he invented his eponymous Smith chart.
When asked why he invented the chart, Smith explained, "From the time I could operate a slide rule, I've been interested in graphical representations of mathematical relationships." In 1969 he published the book Electronic Applications of the Smith Chart: In Waveguide, Circuit, and Component Analysis, a comprehensive work on the subject. He retired from Bell Labs in 1970. He was elected a fellow of the IRE in 1952.