Marcel J.E. Golay (May 3, 1902 – 1989) was a Swiss-born mathematician, physicist, and information theorist, who applied mathematics to real-world military and industrial problems. He was born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
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Golay studied electrical engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ("ETH" in German) in Zürich, joining Bell laboratories in New York in 1924. He received a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Chicago in 1931. Leaving Bell labs, Golay joined the US Army Signal Corps, eventually rising to the post of Chief Scientist. He was based mostly in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. In 1963, Golay joined the Perkin-Elmer company as Senior Research Scientist. Golay worked on many problems, including gas chromatography and optical spectroscopy. He remained with Perkin-Elmer for the rest of his life.