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While a graduate student at Harvard, following WWII service, Linnell developed the first photomultiplier-based photolectric photometer at Harvard and used it to discover the peculiar light curve of UX Ursae Majoris, the first member of the Cataclysmic Variable stars. Starting in 1950, he revived an astronomy program at Amherst and instituted the Five College Astronomy Department, serving as its first chairman. In 1966 he moved to Michigan State and instituted the astronomy program there, serving as chairman from 1966 to 1976. He oversaw construction of the MSU observatory and developed an automated photometer which was among the first to apply high speed photometry. He served as a director-at-large at AURA and was a member of the site selection team for Cerro Tololo Observatory. He developed the BINSYN program, initially for application to conventional binaries and especially contact binary systems. The program later was extended to include systems with an accretion disk. He retired in 1991 and moved to Seattle in 1993. Consult ADS for a list of publications.