Richard E. Morley (December 1, 1932 – October 17, 2017) was an American inventor who was considered one of the "fathers" of the programmable logic controller (PLC) since he was involved with the production of the first PLC for General Motors, the Modicon, at Bedford and Associates in 1968.[1] The Modicon brand of PLC is now owned by Schneider Electric. The PLC has been recognized as a significant advancement in the practice of automation, and has an important influence on manufacturing.
He was born in Clinton, Massachusetts, in 1932[2] [3] and attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology but dropped out before graduating.
An inventor, machinist, author, and consultant, his peers have acknowledged his contributions with numerous awards from groups such as the International Society of Automation (ISA),[4] the Instrumentation Systems and Automation Society, Inc. magazine, the Franklin Institute, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) and the Engineering Society of Detroit. He was also inducted into the Manufacturing Hall of Fame.
SME offers the Richard E. Morley Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award for outstanding technical accomplishments in the manufacturing profession by engineers age 35 and under.[5]
Morley worked out of his barn in New Hampshire where he and his wife had provided a home to 40 foster children. He died on October 17, 2017, in New Hampshire.[6]