“My advice to today’s engineering students is to put your work in perspective. Envision how your achievements contribute to a larger goal. This view will not only make your work more meaningful but you may discover that you can increase your contribution, and satisfaction, far beyond your initial expectations.”
Joseph D. Mason retired from TRW after 33 years with the company. His engineering career over 41 years includes engineering education, control systems research and development, project management and general management.
As manager of the Tactical Systems Business Area, Mason led a successful effort to establish TRW as the leading contractor in U.S. Army command and control systems. Among the programs which were competitively won and successfully executed under Mason were: Maneuver Control System, Combat Service Support Control System, Unified Theater Command and Control System, and the Annored Systems Modernization System Engineering Analysis.
From 1990-92, Mason was manager of the Space and Defense Systems Organization. In 1994, he returned to U.S. Army command and control systems as Director, Army Systems Organization.
In 1995, Mason was named Vice President and General Manager of TRW’s Strategic Systems Division. The major activities for the division included system engineering and development services for the U.S. Air Force ballistic missile programs and the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization’s national and theater missile defense programs. He led the competitive effort that resulted in the 1998 award of the $3.5-billion Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Prime Integration Contract to TRW.
From January 1999 until his retirement in August 2000, Mason was Vice President, Programs, for TRW’s Systems and Integration Technology Group.
He received the TRW Chairman’s Recognition Award for leadership in missile defense systems in 1996.