UC's co-op launches defense director's military technology career

Amid an impressive career with countless achievements, University of Cincinnati alumnus Gary Denman served as director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) from 1991 to 1995. To reach this level in the military defense field – a position that allocates a $2 billion annual budget – Denman credits a series of stepping stones that started with UC’s cooperative education (co-op) program.

“I became interested in military technology because that’s where I spent my co-op rotations,” said Denman, who, as a mechanical engineering student, completed co-op rotations with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. “UC’s co-op program is just fantastic. You get a touch of the real world.”

As a student at UC, Denman moved around to several different positions at Wright-Patterson, including one that really stuck in his mind. Denman and his colleagues were testing ejection seats for B-52 bomber jets.

“There we were standing at the edge of the runway with B-52s flying by us – that really got our attention.”

Experiences like this convinced him he wanted to make a career in the field.

After graduating from UC, Denman accepted a job with Wright-Patterson. At Wright-Patterson, Denman took courses taught by Ohio State University professors and received a Master of Science in mechanical engineering. Several years later, one of Denman’s supervisors offered him the chance to enroll in a Ph.D. program.

Enamored with the military applications of technology and the prospects of a free education, Denman stayed at Wright-Patterson for a number of years, eventually receiving a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from The Ohio State University and climbing the ranks to Deputy Director of the Air Force’s Wright Laboratories. 

Denman’s experience with Wright-Patterson eventually paved the way for his career with DARPA. At Wright-Patterson, Denman had many different roles in different fields, giving him a broad knowledge of military technology. He spoke at conferences and made connections with a number of influential people in other fields, including one of the technology advisers for the White House. Shortly after becoming deputy director of all Wright-Patterson labs, Denman received a call one day from this same adviser, now the director of DARPA, asking him to be his deputy.

Not many people know of DARPA’s role in launching the internet, but its funding dollars and investments in technological communications opened the door for the World Wide Web we know today. In fact, Denman recalled the meeting where his team coined the term, World Wide Web: “We came up with that in my office one day almost as a joke, and it just kind of stuck.”

Yes, the “www” in every browser address bar started like that.

As director, Denman enjoyed the central role that creativity played in military technology. As the guardian of the safe, so to speak, Denman would hear 20 to 30 innovative ideas every day. The early 1990s saw a dramatic investment in technology, and Denman held the key to much of that funding. That also meant he built a network of acquaintances on Capitol Hill, interfaced with congressional committees on the Pentagon’s behalf and advised White House staff on technology policy.  

Just as he was leaving DARPA – under his belief that no one should serve as director for more than five years – Denman was offered a position as senior vice president at GRC International, Inc. (now a subsidiary of AT&T). At GRCI, Denman oversaw many funding projects with government agencies, focusing again on advanced technologies like computer systems, public domain software and radar technologies.

After a long and impressive career in military technology, Denman is now happily retired, enjoying the sunshine and his nine golf course memberships in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Reflecting on his career, he said everything was a stepping stone. Wright-Patterson led to DARPA, which then led to his role as CEO at GRCI. And it all started with co-op at UC.

“The co-op program dramatically expanded my range of thinking,” said Denman. “I couldn’t say it any stronger: the co-op program is best way to get an engineering degree and get a good job after you leave. UC started this whole career of mine.”