James Hayward Babcock
August 22, 1936 ~ February 16, 2018
James Hayward Babcock, Ph.D.
22 August 1936 – 16 February 2018
Dr. Jim Babcock, a Washington native and loving husband, passed away February 16, 2018 at his home in Herndon, VA. He was mentor to many and an extraordinary talent who kept giving to the country up to the time of his death. “Service above self” and “May the future learn from the past” framed his life.
Remembered as a rare gentleman-scholar-scientist, a colleague noted that “who else but Jim would appropriately link Roman history and Colonial Williamsburg with National Security, subtly reminding us all why we do this work."
From 1958 to 1975, he worked for the Central Intelligence Agency as a special communications and long-haul communications systems engineer and manager of an overhead collection system. From 1975 to 1981, he served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense with responsibilities for satellite communications, and as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intelligence in the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence. He became a charter member of the Senior Executive Service (SES-4).
As a trusted adviser to the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community, Dr. Babcock held executive positions in leading corporations between 1981 and 2003, including Vice President and Chief Scientist at Aegis Research Corporation and Vice President Research & Development at Planning Research Corporation. His work included continuity of government architecture, DOE nuclear stockpile security analysis, program protection planning for compartmented programs, and supply chain threat analyses.
At The MITRE Corporation, Dr. Babcock was a Technical Director leading the McLean based division of MITRE’s intelligence support work from 1988 to 1992. He was instrumental in encouraging MITRE to combine its several Bedford, MA and McLean intelligence divisions into a single unit, which became the Center for Integrated Intelligence Systems. He is widely credited for his strategic vision and deep knowledge of the Intelligence Community which led MITRE’s intelligence work growing from a small activity of 65 staff to over 2000 staff in just a few years supporting every major Intelligence Community organization and overseas combatant command.
From 1992 to 1994, Dr. Babcock was President of Integrated Concepts and the key participant in the CORONA imagery declassification project, sources and methods protection. He was also a key contributor to secrecy planning for national level information operations programs as well as to the initiative to leverage DOE national laboratory expertise to work on hard intelligence problems for the Intelligence Community.
Dr. Babcock returned to MITRE in 1994 as Consulting Scientist, a very senior technical position within the company. In 1999, he was named a Fellow at MITRE, one of only a few senior technical experts to be named to that level.
Dr. Babcock returned to the CIA in 2003, joining the Directorate of Science and Technology. He helped establish the Systems Analysis and Engineering Office. In 2004, Dr. Babcock was assigned to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, where he was responsible for a program to assess foreign technology-based threats and develop advanced technology concepts to counter them. In 2006, he returned to the CIA Office of the Director, where he managed a compartmented program focused on strategic counterintelligence.
Dr. Babcock retired from the CIA in 2008 and became a part time employee of Federal Data Systems/Intelligent Decisions, Inc., supporting technical counterintelligence projects at a national agency. He was also a part time employee of Defense Group Inc., assisting in open source analysis of foreign technology programs.
From 2010 to 2012, he was a member of the Defense Science Board Task Force on Resilient Systems. He was Chairman of the intelligence sub-panel, and principal author for the DSB of concept papers for establishment of a proactive counterintelligence program to counter potential adversarial cyber activities. He was a member of the 2016/2017 DSB panel for Cyber as a Strategic Capability.
Dr. Babcock held his Ph.D. from Stanford University in Electrical Engineering, his Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Iowa.
In addition to MITRE Fellow, Dr. Babcock received numerous awards and honors, to include: Life Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Emeritus member of Sigma Xi honorary research society, Rotary International Benefactor and Paul Harris Fellow, elected member of the COSMOS Club, among others. Additionally, he was a member of the Colonial Williamsburg Raleigh Tavern Society and the Jamestown Rediscovery Governor’s Council.
Concerned about the waning educational emphasis on the founding principles of the country, Dr. Babcock provided many Fairfax County Public School educators with full scholarships to the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute for American History. He also provided FCPS elementary school students with the opportunity to meet and interact with Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry, in annual assemblies emphasizing the importance of education and civic responsibility - “That the future may learn from the past."
Dr. Babcock is survived by his wife, CarolAnn M. Rybicki Babcock, sons James A. and Jonathan H. Babcock, step-daughter Alice J. Rybicki and step-son Raymond J. Rybicki.
Services private. Online condolences and fond memories of Dr. Babcock may be offered to the family at www.moneyandking.com
22 August 1936 – 16 February 2018
Dr. Jim Babcock, a Washington native and loving husband, passed away February 16, 2018 at his home in Herndon, VA. He was mentor to many and an extraordinary talent who kept giving to the country up to the time of his death. “Service above self” and “May the future learn from the past” framed his life.
Remembered as a rare gentleman-scholar-scientist, a colleague noted that “who else but Jim would appropriately link Roman history and Colonial Williamsburg with National Security, subtly reminding us all why we do this work."
From 1958 to 1975, he worked for the Central Intelligence Agency as a special communications and long-haul communications systems engineer and manager of an overhead collection system. From 1975 to 1981, he served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense with responsibilities for satellite communications, and as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intelligence in the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence. He became a charter member of the Senior Executive Service (SES-4).
As a trusted adviser to the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community, Dr. Babcock held executive positions in leading corporations between 1981 and 2003, including Vice President and Chief Scientist at Aegis Research Corporation and Vice President Research & Development at Planning Research Corporation. His work included continuity of government architecture, DOE nuclear stockpile security analysis, program protection planning for compartmented programs, and supply chain threat analyses.
At The MITRE Corporation, Dr. Babcock was a Technical Director leading the McLean based division of MITRE’s intelligence support work from 1988 to 1992. He was instrumental in encouraging MITRE to combine its several Bedford, MA and McLean intelligence divisions into a single unit, which became the Center for Integrated Intelligence Systems. He is widely credited for his strategic vision and deep knowledge of the Intelligence Community which led MITRE’s intelligence work growing from a small activity of 65 staff to over 2000 staff in just a few years supporting every major Intelligence Community organization and overseas combatant command.
From 1992 to 1994, Dr. Babcock was President of Integrated Concepts and the key participant in the CORONA imagery declassification project, sources and methods protection. He was also a key contributor to secrecy planning for national level information operations programs as well as to the initiative to leverage DOE national laboratory expertise to work on hard intelligence problems for the Intelligence Community.
Dr. Babcock returned to MITRE in 1994 as Consulting Scientist, a very senior technical position within the company. In 1999, he was named a Fellow at MITRE, one of only a few senior technical experts to be named to that level.
Dr. Babcock returned to the CIA in 2003, joining the Directorate of Science and Technology. He helped establish the Systems Analysis and Engineering Office. In 2004, Dr. Babcock was assigned to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, where he was responsible for a program to assess foreign technology-based threats and develop advanced technology concepts to counter them. In 2006, he returned to the CIA Office of the Director, where he managed a compartmented program focused on strategic counterintelligence.
Dr. Babcock retired from the CIA in 2008 and became a part time employee of Federal Data Systems/Intelligent Decisions, Inc., supporting technical counterintelligence projects at a national agency. He was also a part time employee of Defense Group Inc., assisting in open source analysis of foreign technology programs.
From 2010 to 2012, he was a member of the Defense Science Board Task Force on Resilient Systems. He was Chairman of the intelligence sub-panel, and principal author for the DSB of concept papers for establishment of a proactive counterintelligence program to counter potential adversarial cyber activities. He was a member of the 2016/2017 DSB panel for Cyber as a Strategic Capability.
Dr. Babcock held his Ph.D. from Stanford University in Electrical Engineering, his Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Iowa.
In addition to MITRE Fellow, Dr. Babcock received numerous awards and honors, to include: Life Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Emeritus member of Sigma Xi honorary research society, Rotary International Benefactor and Paul Harris Fellow, elected member of the COSMOS Club, among others. Additionally, he was a member of the Colonial Williamsburg Raleigh Tavern Society and the Jamestown Rediscovery Governor’s Council.
Concerned about the waning educational emphasis on the founding principles of the country, Dr. Babcock provided many Fairfax County Public School educators with full scholarships to the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute for American History. He also provided FCPS elementary school students with the opportunity to meet and interact with Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry, in annual assemblies emphasizing the importance of education and civic responsibility - “That the future may learn from the past."
Dr. Babcock is survived by his wife, CarolAnn M. Rybicki Babcock, sons James A. and Jonathan H. Babcock, step-daughter Alice J. Rybicki and step-son Raymond J. Rybicki.
Services private. Online condolences and fond memories of Dr. Babcock may be offered to the family at www.moneyandking.com
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I was privileged to know Jim. He served MITRE and his country with honor and distinction. He was a friend to many. He will be sorely missed.
I was fortunate to serve with Jim at MITRE where he taught many by example how to serve the Nation with honor, integrity and grace. Jim’s generosity and self-deprecating humour will be a lasting memory. Well done, good and faithful servant.
Hello Babcock Family,
I wanted to express my condolences for your loss.
May you find comfort in knowing that your dear one is safe in the memory of God, who will remember every detail about him and bring him back again. At Acts 25:15, it is recorded: And I have hope toward God, which hope these men also look forward to, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. If you would like to research more Bible Based information about the condition of our dear loved ones, visit JW.org at https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/when-you-die/
May Jehovah sustain you at this time of such great loss.
Sincerely,
Pam Kissinger
Sir, you were a trusted advisor, intellectual giant, and inspiration to those of us who had the good fortune to work with you. Thank you and rest easy, sir, we have assumed the watch. Ed Glabus