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This is the 28th volume of Memorial Tributes compiled by the National Academy of Engineering as a personal remembrance of the lives and outstanding achievements of its members and international members. These volumes are intended to stand as an enduring record of the many contributions of engineers and engineering to the benefit of humankind. In most cases, the authors of the tributes are contemporaries or colleagues who had personal knowledge of the interests and the engineering accomplishments of the deceased. Through its members and international members, the Academy...
This is the 28th volume of Memorial Tributes compiled by the National Academy of Engineering as a personal remembrance of the lives and outstanding achievements of its members and international members. These volumes are intended to stand as an enduring record of the many contributions of engineers and engineering to the benefit of humankind. In most cases, the authors of the tributes are contemporaries or colleagues who had personal knowledge of the interests and the engineering accomplishments of the deceased. Through its members and international members, the Academy carries out the responsibilities for which it was established in 1964.
Under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering was formed as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. Members are elected on the basis of significant contributions to engineering theory and practice and to the literature of engineering or on the basis of demonstrated unusual accomplishments in the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology. The National Academies share a responsibility to advise the federal government on matters of science and technology. The expertise and credibility that the National Academy of Engineering brings to that task stem directly from the abilities, interests, and achievements of our members and international members, our colleagues and friends, whose special gifts we remember in this book.
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BY KATHY MCCARTHY
DONALD BRUCE MONTGOMERY, an engineer whose pioneering work in electromagnet technology, advanced fusion energy, and numerous other applications, died on July 1, 2022, at age 89.
Born in Hartford, Connecticut, on July 1, 1933, Bruce displayed an early aptitude for science and engineering. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Williams College and, in 1957, a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He later completed a Doctor of Science degree at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland in 1967.
After graduating from MIT, Bruce joined the staff at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory before beginning work on high-field magnets under Francis Bitter, founder of MIT National Magnet Laboratory. He rose to become associate director of what became the Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory, where he authored Solenoid Magnet Design: The Magnetic and Mechanical Aspects of Resistive and Superconducting Magnets (Wiley-Interscience, 1969). The book remains a standard reference in the field, reflecting both his depth of expertise and his ability to convey complex engineering principles with clarity.
Bruce’s career soon turned decisively toward fusion energy research. Following the landmark Soviet T-3 tokamak experiments, he worked with Bruno Coppi and Ron Parker (NAE 1988) at MIT to design and construct the Alcator A and Alcator C devices, capable of magnetic fields exceeding 12 Tesla — still unmatched in fusion research. Both devices set world records in plasma confinement, establishing confidence that fusion power could be feasible. These achievements were made possible by breakthrough magnet technologies developed under Bruce’s leadership. His contributions created a direct lineage from Alcator to today’s SPARC device, being built by MIT and Commonwealth Fusion Systems, which aims to achieve net energy from fusion.
Among his most significant technical legacies was the invention of the cable-in-conduit conductor (CICC), developed with Henry Kolm and Mitch Hoenig. Initially dismissed as impractical, the CICC design became the enabling technology for high-field superconducting magnets. Today, it is used in every major fusion device worldwide, from tokamaks and stellarators to particle accelerators and magnetic levitation systems, and forms the basis of ITER’s massive superconducting magnet system.
Bruce also applied his expertise to a wide range of fields. With colleagues at MIT, he advanced the “magplane” concept of magnetic levitation and propulsion, leading to demonstrations in the United States and later industrial applications in China. He contributed to projects in magnetohydrodynamic power generation and, in the 1990s, led a national consortium under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maglev Initiative. Known for his ability to manage large, technically complex projects, he served as chief engineer on several national fusion system construction efforts and played a leadership role in the early development of ITER.
His contributions were recognized with many honors, including the Dawson Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research in 1983 for “basic experimental contributions to the understanding of tokamak plasma physics and the advancement of magnetic fusion research into the reactor plasma regime,” the Fusion Power Associates Distinguished Career Award in 1998, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Council on Superconductivity Award for Continuing and Significant Contributions in 2002. In 1998, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for “the development, design, and construction of high-magnetic-field devices for conventional and superconducting applications.”
Colleagues often described Bruce as an “engineer’s engineer.” He combined a deep understanding of science with a rare ability to devise elegant, practical solutions to some of the most difficult challenges in large-scale magnet systems. He was also a steady leader, able to build consensus in contentious technical discussions and guide diverse teams of scientists, engineers, technicians, and students. His mentorship produced a generation of engineers who carried forward his approach of rigor, practicality, and quiet confidence.
After retiring from MIT in 1996, Bruce founded MTechnology Inc., a consultancy specializing in engineering risk and reliability, continuing his contributions to the field by helping improve the reliability of large magnet systems.
He was married for 52 years to Nancy Ford Fenn, until her death in 2006, and later shared many happy years with Elisabeth Bartlett Sturges, who passed away in 2021. He is survived by his son, Timothy Montgomery, and his wife, Susan, of Scituate, Massachusetts; his daughter, Melissa Sweeny, and her husband, Tom, of Groton, Massachusetts; and his grandchildren, Jenna Sweeny, Christopher Sweeny, and Benjamin Sweeny.
Bruce’s legacy endures through his groundbreaking work in electromagnet engineering and his dedication to advancing fusion energy research. His contributions left an indelible mark on the scientific community and continue to inspire future generations of engineers and researchers.