Pioneer in the field of magnetic data storage

Professor Emeritus of Engineering Jim Monson died Jan. 1, 2021 at his home in Point Reyes, surrounded by his three children and Julie, his wife of 65 years. He led a full life of teaching, research, caring for his family and volunteering in the communities he lived in.

After attending New Mexico Military Institute, Monson went on to earn his B.S., M.S. and PhD degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford University. He worked at Bell Telephone Labs and Hewlett Packard then began his academic career at Harvey Mudd College in 1961. Because the College had just begun only a few years earlier, Monson and his few colleagues created an innovative curriculum in engineering, with components of the humanities. He also helped establish and develop Engineering Clinic, in which student teams work on design projects sponsored by industrial clients.

Through the Clinic program, Monson began working with colleagues in industry on the challenges of the evolving technology in magnetic recording. He and his student researchers solved problems and invented solutions, collaborating with engineers from around the world who worked with Siemans, Mitsubishi and other international corporations. His travels included annual international conferences (International Magnetics Conference of the Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers) and led to numerous connections and friendships, especially in East and West Europe, and Japan. During sabbaticals, every seven years, he taught or did research in Dublin, Montenegro (twice), Japan (twice) and Paris, learning languages along the way.

He published over 30 articles and book chapters and is co-author, with A.S. Hoagland, of Digital Magnetic Recording (second edition).

Monson was chair of the engineering department from 1979 to 1983 and faculty chair (the College’s second) from 1976 to 1979. As chair of the Computer Science Group from 1973 to 1975, he helped recruit CS faculty and directed the planning of the CS curriculum. He also served as director of the College’s Freshman Division. He remained at Harvey Mudd for 35 years and loved it.

The HMC Alumni Association named Monson an Honorary Alumnus in 1997 and, the same year, he was named a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Monson was honored for developing innovative methods in the study of how magnetic recording devices store very large amounts of data. His work led to increases in the density of information that can be stored on computer drives and tapes. At the time, former dean and professor of engineering Sam Tanenbaum was quoted as saying, “[IEEE Fellow] is an honor accorded to very, very few electrical engineers. In the area of magnetics, everyone knows who [Monson] is.”

Upon retirement, the Monsons moved to Point Reyes and became involved in the community and enjoyed their hobbies: Monson was an avid birder. He served on the board of Coastal Health Alliance for six years, two terms as president; then on the board of West Marin Senior Services, also for six years; and was then appointed to serve on Marin County’s Commission on Aging. He was always highly respected for his calm, clear thinking, his tolerance and thoughtful manner in handling complex issues.

Monson also volunteered as a tutor in math and physics at Tomales High School for 10 years. In March 2020, the Monsons were honored by the West Marin community for their many local volunteer contributions, receiving recognition from state and local elected officials and community leaders.

Monson is survived by his wife, Julie, and his three children: John (Susie Helfrey), Jamie Monson and Jennifer Monson; and four grandchildren: James Monson, Elizabeth Monson and Eddie Monson, and Jenny Monson-Miller.

Contributions in his honor may be made to the Jim Monson Scholarship in Engineering, c/o Inverness Garden Club.

Memories of James

Larry Handa ’78

Volleyball teammate, friend

As a mathematics major I never took a class from Prof. Monson but I probably knew him better than any other professor at HMC because he and Julie were part of our group (that also included Prof. Stavros Busenberg) that played volleyball every Sunday morning. He really enjoyed playing and had a killer spike.
Jim and Julie were also kind enough to rent a room to me for a year as I earned my M.A. in mathematics at CGU. He was always kind, a true gentleman and a wonderful mentor and friend.

Dave Abrahamson ’76

I only met him once, a freshman talking to a professor

When I was a freshman in 1972-1973, I found myself compelled to discuss a humanities paper (in the “Quest for Commonwealth” course) with Dr. Monson. I had not been particularly interested in the assignment, and the prospect of discussing it with an engineer brought some confusion to me, a callow youth of spectacular immaturity. I was stunned by the earnestness and thoughtfulness that Dr. Monson brought to the discussion, and I was impressed that a person in his position would give that sort of serious consideration to a freshman’s paper. His efforts on that task left a lasting mark on me, making me start to think, “Gee, maybe I could consider taking everything that I do a little more seriously.” Thank you, sir!

Pat Barrett ’66

Professor, friend

Although I had been an amateur radio operator since junior high, Prof. Monson introduced me to a new level of electronic measurement in junior engineering lab. He was a gentle, thoughtful and thought provoking professor and a joy to work with in the lab. He was a great friend of students and a friend in later life after he (and I) retired. He represented to me the essential HMC professor.

Adam Shane ’88

Student

Prof. Monson was likely the most influential professor I had at HMC. Our interaction started in my first year – he was my faculty advisor. In 1984/85 we had a first year engineering project for those potentially declaring engineering major. I was in West Dorm and my friends and I proposed to repair the Night Rider pinball machine in the lounge. Dr. Monson took on our project. We thought we had pulled a fast one on the administration, but Dr. Monson made sure we learned from it, had fun, and were successful. I appreciated his efforts so much that I took several courses from him, and was a lab assistant for his sophomore lab. We got along great – but I think that was probably true of all his students. He was a wonderful part of my HMC experience.