Al Parker, Well Known EMC Society Member, Dies at 87

"I received the sad news that Al Parker passed away recently. He was 87 years old. Al was certainly a pioneer in our industry. He was the first with the ancillary equipment - LISN's, current probes, etc. He was both extremely honest and moral, and didn't believe in overcharging, even though he may have had the only product to serve the need. Solar Electronics recently moved from its Hollywood location, which Al told me was on a verbal month-to-month lease for over 30 years. Until he became ill last December, he was the chief engineer who designed all of Solar's products. If you ever got a product that didn't meet spec, Al would replace it without any question. He was an icon of our industry that I will surely miss." –Robert D. Goldblum, ITEM Publications

A.T. Parker was educated in St. Louis, Missouri. During World War II, while at Bendix Radio in Baltimore, he designed radio communications receivers and served as a Systems Engineer. He designed aircraft systems wiring for electronics aboard the American bombers that flew in that war. He also served as Manager of the Field Service Department.

In 1947, he joined Stoddart Aircraft Radio Company in Hollywood, California. As Chief Engineer, he designed and supervised the design of Radio Interference and Field Intensity Receivers on Navy contracts. These receivers were the first to be designed specifically for measuring what is now called electromagnetic interference (EMI).

In 1957, Mr. Parker joined with the late Fred Nichols and the late Jerry Rothhammer in organizing the first technical group devoted to Radio Interference, which at that time was considered a "black art". They named themselves the Professional Group on Radio Frequency Interference (PGRFI). Several years later, this group became the nucleus of the EMC Society of the IEEE.

In 1960, he started his own company called Solar Electronics in Hollywood. In 1962, he began designing and supplying ancillary test items for use in EMI laboratories. These items include spike generators, audio sources, current probes, injection probes, LISN's and many other useful devices. New products are always under development. The company is well known throughout the world, with sales offices in more than twenty countries. The integrity of the staff and the quality of the products have earned the company an enviable reputation and are truly Mr. Parker's legacy. EMC

Editor's Note: The Editor wishes to thank the Parker family for providing the above information. Al Parker was a well-liked and much admired member of the IEEE EMC Society Los Angeles Chapter, of which your Editor was a long time member. At the Chapter's table top shows, he would often donate one of his famous dB clocks to be raffled as a prize. We've included some information on the dB clock he designed. You can see he was a creative and original EMC engineer. He was also a gentleman whose ready smile will be sorely missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him.

Return to contents