Carl Henry Haushalter

Carl Haushalter Portrait #1 c. 1928

Youth

Carl Henry Haushalter was born on February 7, 1925, son of Charles Heinrich Haushalter (1880–1963) and Anna Louise Zdunek (~1885–1959).[1][2] He grew up on the Haushalter Farm in Water Valley, New York, the youngest of three siblings and the only boy.[3]  Like his siblings, Carl loved the land he lived on. It is from Carl that we have many of the remaining personal memoirs of the farm.

According to his sister June, Carl struggled in school as a child. It was only later in his high school career, when he began fiddling with the inner workings of radios for fun, that he found his academic wind. It turned out that he had a genius for all things mechanical engineering, and particularly for Radio Frequency engineering (RF). Carl pulled together his grades quickly enough to graduate from Hamburg High School in 1941 and enroll in Alfred University in Alfred, New York.

 

 

Carl Haushalter in Navy Uniform on Leave 1943

The Navy & M.I.T.

However, Carl wasn't to remain at Alfred for long. In June of 1943, the United States military was actively seeking young men who could be trained in technical specialties needed by the Army and Navy. Carl was inducted into the United States Navy's V-12 College Training Program.[4] Carl tested higher than anyone else on the candidacy exam. When asked where he'd like to do his training, he replied, "M.I.T."

When Carl arrived at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) in 1943, the Navy had had a presence there for three years already. In October of 1940, the National Defense Research Committee (NDRC) contracted M.I.T. to establish a laboratory (later know as the Rad Lab) to develop cutting-edge microwave radar technology (made practical by a technological breakthrough only shared with the Americans by the British after the fall of France). Both Allied and Axis governments understood the importance of a technology that could provide an edge in navigation, tracking and detection. Microwave radar had the advantage of reach—it could detect objects much farther away and with higher accuracy than other radio frequency technologies. 

Carl spent the time that the Navy paid for at M.I.T. becoming an expert on radar and guidance systems. He served in the Navy throughout World War II, though the details of that service are rather difficult to obtain.[5][6][7]

Doris, June and Carl Haushalter at June's 50th Wedding Anniversary, 1993

Later Life

On March 9, 1952, Carl married Ruth Ann Maplesden (born on November 19, 1928) at a ceremony in St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Eden, New York—the church that Haushalters had attended since they first moved to the area, just down the road from the Haushalter Farm:[9]

In St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Eden the evening of Mar. 9, Miss Ruth Ann Maplesden, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Allyn Maplesden of Gowanda State Rd., was married to Lieutenant j.g. Carl Henry Haushalter, U.S.N.R., son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Haushalter of Gowanda State Road.

[…] The bride wore a gown of chantilly lace and nylon net over taffeta, fashioned with cap sleeves, sweetheart neckline and ballerina length skirt. Her double veil of French illusion was fastened to a lace cap with lilies of the valley, and she carried a nosegay of pink carnations and snapdragons, tied with white satin streamers. 

[…] On their return from a trip to Florida, Lt. Haushalter and his bride will be at home in Brunswick, Me., where he is squadron commander for a Naval Air Force Base recently opened. A veteran of World War II, he was recalled to active duty last year.[8]

Carl continued to use the skills he gained at M.I.T. and with the Navy for the rest of his career. He was one of the country's leading experts in air- and space-craft guidance and communications design.[10][11] Most of his career was spent working for Emerson Electric and later Randall. He helped design (for better or worse) the Tomahawk Missile used in the Gulf War, as well as the International Space Station.[12][13]

Carl lived for many years in Huntington Beach, California.[14] He died on November 10, 2012, aged 87.[15]

Bibliography

  1. Birth: New York State, Birth Index, 1881-1942, New York State Department of Health; Albany, NY, USA; New York State Birth Index; Certificate Number: 11232, Ancestry Record 61667 #3172693 (requires subscription, accessed 15 May 2026), Carl H Haushalter born on 7 Feb 1925 in Hamburg, New York, USA.
  2. Military: U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For New York State, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147, Ancestry Record 2238 #302936735 (requires subscription, accessed 15 May 2026), Name: Carl Henry Haushalter; Race: White; Age: 18; Birth Date: 7 Feb 1925; Birth Place: Hamburg, N. Y.; Residence Place: Hamburg, Erie, New York; Registration Date: 9 Feb 1943; Registration Place: Belmont, New York, USA; Employer: Student, N. Y. State Technical & Agricultural Institute Alfred, N. Y.; Height: 6'; Weight: 150; Complexion: Light; Hair Color: Blonde; Eye Color: Gray; Next of Kin: Charles Haushalter; Household Members (Name): Carl Henry Haushalter.
  3. 1940 Census: United States, Census, 1940, citing Affiliate Publication Number: T627; Line: 49; Digital film/folder number: 005458195; Image number: 1082; Sheet number: 7; Sheet letter: B, FamilySearch Record: KQLN-S2V (accessed 15 May 2026) FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-L9MY-PNH5, Carl Haushalter (15), single son, in household of Charles Haushalter (60) in Hamburg, Erie, New York, United States. Born in New York.
  4. 1943 Newspaper: "Carl inducted under …" Newspapers.com, Buffalo Courier Expr… (Buffalo, New York, United States) 06 Jun 1943, page 45, Newspapers Clip: 197593712 (accessed 15 May 2026).
  5. Military: U.S., World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938-1949, The National Archives at College Park, Maryland; College Park, MD, USA; Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities, 01/01/1939 - 01/01/1949; Record Group Title: Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, 1798-2007; Record Group:: 24, Ancestry Record 1143 #142179524 (requires subscription, accessed 15 May 2026), Name: Carl Henry Haushalter; Record Type: Enlistment; Service Number: 805 64 48; Enlistment Date: 5 Jun 1943; Enlistment Place: Buffalo, New York; Description: V-12 Ma. Institute of Technology Cambridge, Ma. 7/31/43 to 6/3/46.
  6. Military: U.S., World War II Navy Muster Rolls, 1938-1949, The National Archives at College Park, Maryland; College Park, MD, USA; Muster Rolls of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Other Naval Activities, 01/01/1939 - 01/01/1949; Record Group Title: Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, 1798-2007; Record Group:: 24, Ancestry Record 1143 #142187538 (requires subscription, accessed 15 May 2026), Name: Carl H Haushalter; Record Type: Enlistment; Service Number: 805 64 48; Enlistment Date: 30 Nov 1942; Description: V-12 Ma. Institute of Technology Cambridge, Ma. 7/31/43 to 6/3/46.
  7. Military: U.S., Select Military Registers, 1862-1985, Original data: United States Military Registers, 1902-1985. Salem, Oregon: Oregon State Library, Ancestry Record 2345 #4145990 (requires subscription, accessed 15 May 2026), Name: Carl H Haushalter; Birth Date: 1925; Military Date: 1 May 1952; Publication Date: 1 Jul 1961; Title: Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Naval and Reserve.
  8. 1952 Newspaper: "Carl and Ruth's wedd…" Newspapers.com, The Sun and the Erie… (Hamburg, New York, United States) 20 Mar 1952, page 5, Newspapers Clip: 197596579 (accessed 15 May 2026).
  9. Marriage: New York State, Marriage Index, 1881-1967, New York State Department of Health; Albany, NY, USA; New York State Marriage Index; Certificate Number: 5??62, Ancestry Record 61632 #1872272 (requires subscription, accessed 15 May 2026), Carl H Haushalter marriage to on 9 Mar 1952 in Buffalo, New York, USA.
  10. 1967 Newspaper: "Carl appointed manag…" Newspapers.com, St. Louis Post-Dispa… (St. Louis, Missouri, United States) 24 Jan 1967, page 34, Newspapers Clip: 197597415 (accessed 15 May 2026).
  11. 1967 Newspaper: "Carl appointed manag…" Newspapers.com, St. Louis Post-Dispa… (St. Louis, Missouri, United States) 24 Jan 1967, page 34, Newspapers Clip: 197597475 (accessed 15 May 2026).
  12. 2001 Newspaper: "Carl helped design T…" Newspapers.com, The Sun and the Erie… (Hamburg, New York, United States) 04 Oct 2001, page 10, Newspapers Clip: 197597672 (accessed 15 May 2026).
  13. Career Memorabilia and Papers: Carl Haushalter Retirement Binder; Haushalter Family Archive; privately held by Liz Casler Loomans, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 2026. Materials entrusted by Carl to his sister upon his death, June (Haushalter) Casler, from whom the current owner inherited them.
  14. Liz Casler Loomans, personal recollection from visits to his home, May 2026.
  15. Military: U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2020, U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs; United States; U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs Birls Death File, 1850-2022; URL: https://www.va.gov/; Page number: 2, Ancestry Record 2441 #16582551 (requires subscription, accessed 15 May 2026), Name: Carl H Haushalter; Gender: Male; Birth Date: 7 Feb 1925; Death Date: 9 Nov 2012; Enlistment Date: 1 Jan 1945.

Photos and Documents featuring June Haushalter Casler

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