1960 to 1990

This period saw the convergence of Gould, I-T-E and Clevite, the forerunners of today's copper foil and fiber optics businesses.

1969 — Gould National Battery acquired Clevite and the resulting combination was renamed Gould Inc. The company had sales of some $342 million.

1976 — Gould acquired I-T-E, with $500 million in sales, which propelled Gould to $1.2 billion in revenues. In the years just prior to the merger, I-T-E had developed a host of new products including specialized fuses for the new breed of rapid transit trains and an impregnated fiberglass fuse body material called Supr-Tube.

Late 1970s and early 1980s — Gould accelerated its efforts to become totally focused on electrical and electronics products. While many of these efforts involved acquisitions and divestitures, the company also attempted to develop new businesses through R&D.

1978 — A group was formed which manufactured towed array sonar systems for the U.S. Navy. Early successes included development of a practical fused biconical taper (FBT). Shortly thereafter, Gould invented the fiber optic wavelength division multiplexer (WDM).

1983 — Single mode fiber was being utilized in telecommunications and Gould began manufacturing components in the laboratory to address those needs. A year later (1984), the company decided to begin commercial manufacturing, and by 1985, the operation was housed within The Ocean Systems Division in Glen Burnie, Maryland.

1985 — Gould's Fiber Optics business became a stand-alone division.

1986 — The Fiber Optics Division was awarded a patent for its 2 x 2 coupler and began export to Japan, followed by export to Europe the next year.

Mid-1980s — The overhaul and restructuring of Gould had proven to be financially disappointing. Many of the newer businesses the company acquired had failed to generate the earnings levels of some of Gould's more steady industrial businesses, which had been divested. As the financial condition of the company deteriorated, various business units were sold to generate cash.

1988 — All of Gould's non-defense related businesses were acquired by Nippon Mining Company (now Japan Energy Corporation), which had been a joint venture partner with the Copper Foil Division since 1981.