[BC] Hilmer Swanson Obituary

[Richard Fry]

Below with permission from the source is a text clip about Hilmer Swanson.
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Hilmer Irvin Swanson, age 72, of Quincy, IL, died Thursday morning July 21, 
2005, at 10:10am in North Adams Home in Mendon, IL.  Mr. Swanson was born 
July 25th, 1932 in Davenport, Iowa.

Hilmer graduated from Davenport High School and attended Valparaiso 
Technical Institute in Valparaiso, Indiana. After two years he was drafted 
into the Army during the Korean War, and was trained in the 10th Army 
Mountain Division at Fort Riley, Kansas. Hilmer was sent to the Army Radio 
Signal School where he graduated with honors. He received an honorable 
discharge on June 25, 1953.

After working a short time at Bendix in Davenport where he worked on his 
first invention, the Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner, he decided to continue his 
education at Iowa State University in Ames. He received his Bachelor of 
Science degree in Engineering from Valparaiso Tech Institute.  He then went 
on to graduate school at the University of Iowa in Iowa City where he worked 
doing student teaching while working on his Master's Degree. He received his 
Master of Science degree on February 4, 1961. Mr. Swanson is a life member 
of Sigma Xi, Science Honor Fraternity, an Honorary Member of the Society of 
Broadcast Engineers and a life member of IEEE.

In Cedar Rapids and Dallas,Texas, Hilmer worked for Collins Radio. A friend 
suggested he contact Parker Gates about working for Gates Radio. Parker 
Gates was interested in AM transmitters and gave Hilmer a desk and lab 
space. Hilmer worked for Gates/Harris for 35 years.

Hilmer has been granted twenty-six patents including patents in the United 
States, Canada, France, Russia, Australia, and the British Commonwealth. In 
1990 Hilmer received his most prestigious engineering award in the broadcast 
industry, The National Association of Broadcasters Engineering Achievement 
Award. In honor of this award Harris has named one of its company streets in 
Hilmer's name and also gave John Wood Community College of Quincy a 
scholarship in Hilmer's name for the study of Radio Broadcast technology.

He has received many awards through Harris. The company's highest award "The 
Harris Fellow" was presented to Hilmer at the Harris home office in 
Melbourne, Florida. A quote by Mr. Farmer, former Harris Chairman, President 
and CEO, "Mr. Swanson, a Senior Scientist at the Broadcast Communications 
Division has become a radio engineering legend in his own time. It is 
believed that no one has contributed more to the advancement of AM broadcast 
radio transmitters than Hilmer Swanson. Most famous are his PDM and PSM 
modulation techniques, and his "Crown Jewel" -- the digital AM generation 
technology for Harris' DX series AM broadcast product Line." A portrait of 
Hilmer now hangs at the company headquarters in Melbourne

Survivors in addition to his wife are three sons, a daughter, several 
grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
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