William C. Schwartz facts for kids

William C. Schwartz (born March 25, 1927 – died July 23, 2000) was an important leader in Central Florida. He was also a laser pioneer, meaning he was one of the first people to develop and use lasers in new ways. He started two companies in Orlando, Florida: International Laser Systems, Inc., and later, Schwartz Electro-Optics, Inc.

Schwartz was born in Lexington, Missouri. He went to Wentworth Military Academy and then studied math at The University of Chicago and the University of Missouri. He also received an honorary degree in Engineering Science from the University of Central Florida.

William Schwartz's Early Career

After teaching for a short time, Schwartz started working for North American Aviation (now part of Boeing). This company built military aircraft. He was a systems analyst, which means he studied how different parts of a system work together. He helped figure out how bullets fly and designed aiming systems for guns on planes.

He also checked how well aircraft firing and bombing systems worked. In the late 1950s, he became very interested in space. He was part of the team at North American Aviation that helped create the Apollo program, which sent humans to the Moon!

Pioneering Laser Technology

In the early 1960s, Schwartz moved to The Martin Company (now part of Lockheed Martin). This company developed missiles. He managed three different teams there, including one focused on how systems work.

It was during this time that he started working with lasers. Lasers were a very new invention, created in 1960. The Martin Company quickly saw that lasers could be useful for guiding missiles. Schwartz became the head of laser research and development at Martin for most of the 1960s. He even helped create some of the first lasers used by the United States Army during the Vietnam War.

Starting Laser Companies

In 1968, Schwartz left Martin and started his own company called International Laser Systems (ILS) in Orlando, Florida. ILS became very important for developing and making laser tools. These tools included laser target designators and rangefinders. These devices helped guide "smart weapons" during the Gulf War in Iraq.

In 1983, ILS was sold to Martin Marietta and then to another company. After a short break, Schwartz started a new company in Orlando in 1984, called Schwartz Electro-Optics (SEO). This company also worked with lasers, but it made products for both everyday uses and military uses.

By the year 2000, SEO had about 150 employees. They made laser systems for many different things, like controlling traffic, training for weapons, aerospace (things that fly in space), medical uses, and industrial jobs.

Honoring a Legacy

William Schwartz passed away in 2000. After his death, his company, SEO, faced some challenges. The American military changed its plans after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. This affected SEO's contracts, and the company eventually closed in 2003.

To remember Schwartz's many contributions to Orlando, the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission created the William C. Schwartz Industry Innovation Awards. These awards are given every year to companies in the Orlando area that show creative new ideas in business, technology, partnerships, or products.