BELOVED SCIENTIST WILL BE MISSED

In honor of Dr. Virgil Swann's contributions to our world, the Ledger is reprinting this 1977 Man of The Year article.

1977's MAN OF THE YEAR -- VIRGIL SWANN
By Perry White

"Only through communication will people live in peace." -- Dr. Virgil Swann

Gazing out his office window high atop the Manhattan skyline, Dr. Virgil Swann speculates on the future of global communications. Coming from the man who practically coined the term, his musings conjure a feeling of wonder more often found in science fiction. But Dr. Swann is wildly serious. This is a man focused on propelling the human race into an era of communication unmatched in history. Not since the invention of Guttenberg's printing press has such a revolution been so poised to impact our world. A modern Renaissance could be upon us--and there will be one man to thank when it arrives.

Undoubtedly, this year has seen its share of notable events. In the Middle East, Anwar Sadat made the first steps toward a miracle: a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. Jimmy Carter was sworn in as the 39th President of the United States of America. NASA's Space Shuttle Enterprise took its maiden flight from the top of a 747. And the king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley, passed away.

While all of these events had a dramatic effect on our world this year, Dr. Virgil Swann's advancements in satellite technology promise to resonate for generations to come. Scientific American proclaimed him "The Man of Tomorrow," and this magazine now names him 1977's Man of the Year.

At the early age of 19, wunderkind Virgil Swann graduated summa cum laude from MIT with doctorates in mathematics and applied physics. Shortly thereafter, he founded Swann Communications in dedication to his life's pursuit: advancing technology focused on global communication.

In early 1976, Swann Communications launched the first of its SWANNSTAR series of satellites, which dramatically reduced the cost of delivering data to millions of people the world over.

This year, Swann Communications became the largest producer of satellites after sending its 36th SWANNSTAR unit into orbit. Through Swann's innovations, today's science fiction can become tomorrow's reality.

"The paradigm of three television networks will soon be a thing of the past," comments a station owner from Atlanta who asked not to be named. "Virgil has laid the foundations for what we might call a global village. It's not inconceivable that we'll someday have networks devoted solely to sports or news or finance--networks that could have a global reach 24 hours a day. Anyone on the planet who wants it, will have access to the latest events as they happen."

Clearly, it will take years to comprehend the sociological impact of Swann's work. But it has taken very little time to see the financial effects on Swann Communications. With contracts in hand from over 90% of the world's television networks, Swann's privately held company is valued in the tens of billions of dollars.

However, Swann is that rare businessman who would continue his work even if there were no financial gain involved. "I do this because I believe that only through communication will people live in peace."

Swann downplays his role in the predicted revolution. "Communication is simply the transmission and reception of a message. What I do is no different from what a postal worker does. I deliver the message. It's what the recipient does with that message that is really important."