Born in Boston, David Bakalar studied at Harvard University and received a PhD in physics from MIT in 1951. With his brother, Leo, he founded the Transitron Electronic Corporation, one of the world's largest transistor manufacturers in the 1950s. During this period, his interests turned toward art and he became an avid collector. After thirty years as president, Bakalar sold the company in 1980. Encouraged by the artist George Segal, a personal friend, Bakalar began his career as a sculptor at the age of 62. Bakalar works in stone and metal, exploring both organic and geometric forms. He is also a photographer and in 2003 produced the film Passionada. He has received solo exhibitions at venues including the Camillos Kouros Gallery, New York; the Hess Gallery, Pine Manor College; and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In addition to MIT, his sculptures are in the collections of the Massachusetts College of Art, Brandeis University, Columbia University Law School, and other universities, as well as the Marine Biology Laboratories at Woods Hole and the Federal Reserve Bank in Boston. David Bakalar lives and works in Boston.