H. Taylor Howard (April 5, 1932 – November 13, 2002) was an American scientist and radio engineer. Howard was a major player in the development of consumer satellite television in the USA. In 1976, he demonstrated the possibility of receiving of TV signal from a
communications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunication signals via a transponder; it creates a communication channel between a source transmitter and a receiver at different locations on Earth ...
direct to the home of an ordinary householder, using a home-made
satellite dish (actually a converted
military surplus
Military surplus are goods, usually matériel, that are sold or otherwise disposed of when held in excess or are no longer needed by the military. Entrepreneurs often buy these goods and resell them at surplus stores. Usually the goods sold by t ...
radar
Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, we ...
dish) and a self-designed and built analog satellite receiver. He co-founded
San Jose, California
San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popu ...
-based Chaparral Communications. He was born in
Peoria, Illinois.
Howard was a professor emeritus electrical engineering at
Stanford University, and his career there spanned more than 50 years.
Howard, along with his stepson, died in 2002 when the plane that he was piloting crashed shortly after takeoff at
Calaveras County Airport in
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
.
References
Stanford University Memorial Resolution for H. Taylor Howard
1932 births
2002 deaths
20th-century American engineers
Accidental deaths in California
Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States
People from Peoria, Illinois
Scientists from California
Scientists from Illinois
Stanford University faculty
Engineers from Illinois
Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 2002
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