History of the Conference

The International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter and Terahertz Waves (IRMMW-THz) is the oldest and largest continuous forum specifically devoted to the field of ultra-high frequency electronics, long-wave electromagnetics and their applications. The first conference in this series was held at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta in 1974 under the co-sponsorship of the IEEE Society on Microwave Theory and Techniques and the Optical Society of America. The General Chair was James J. Gallagher of the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Program Chair was Kenneth J. Button of the MIT Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory. In his Foreword to the Conference Digest, Ken Button predicted that the Conference would “be the first of a long series because the submillimeter wave specialty has become well-defined and moderately well populated.” This prediction was very prescient and the Conference has grown into a respected and self sustaining venue that has now spanned more than three decades, thanks, in large part, to the efforts of Ken Button. The first three meetings (1974, 1976 and 1978) were held bi-annually, but beginning with the 4th meeting in 1979 the conference series was renamed as the International Conference on Infrared and Millimeter Waves (IRMMW) and was held annually.