William (Bill) A. Howard

William (Bill) Alvis Howard was born December 1, 1913 to Alvis and Ximena (McDaniel) Howard on their farm 20 miles south of Coleman, Texas. Bill married his college sweetheart, Opal E. Martin from Waxahachie, Texas that he met while attending Howard Payne College. They were married June 1, 1940 at Opal’s farm home near Prairie Hill, Texas. Bill and Opal had a wonderful married life of over 70 years and were blessed with two talented children. Their daughter Charlotte (Howard) Grantier has many piano students and is organist and music director for churches. Michael their son’s Career has been in astrophysics and chemistry research. He married Magdalen (Mak) Howard and they have a talented son, Vincent. Bill had two sisters, Carrie Howard and Thelma (Howard) Throgmorton who are deceased. Bill finished his Elementary Education in the Starkweather School and his High School in the Voss and Gouldbusk schools in Coleman County. He worked his way through Howard Payne College and finished with the Class of 39 with a double major in mathematics and science. During his career, Bill did graduate work at Baylor University and the Moore School of Electrical Engineering in

Philadelphia.

Bill’s 40 years professional career included 3 years teaching mathematics and science in Texas high schools in Axtel and West, Texas, Four years working for the United States Air Force under civil service as a radar instructor at Boca Raton Field in Florida and a development engineer on the Air Borne Television System for the Air Force with Philco Television Engineering in Philadelphia. In April of 1946 he joined NBC Engineering in New York as a Television Project Engineer. After 33 years with NBC Engineering, he retired January 1, 1979 as A Senior Staff Engineer, Technical Development. His 33 years with NBC Engineering included 11 years with the NBC Owned and Operated stations in Cleveland and Philadelphia and 22 years at Rockefeller Center in New York.

On reporting to NBC Engineering in New York, Bill was assigned to participate in the engineering work to get NBC’s TV stations on the air. He was present in Washington when WNBW-TV went on air in 1947. In 1948 he was in Chicago when WMAQ-TV went on the air. He was in Cleveland when WNBK-TV went on the air. December 17. 1953 the FCC approved the compatible color television system that we have today. Bill was assigned to colorize the Cleveland television station and later WRCV-TV in Philadelphia. In March of 1960, the Chief Engineer of NBC asked Bill to return to NBC New York Engineering and accept the newly created position of Manager, Engineering Standards and Practices for the NBC Network and the owned and operated stations. During his career with NBC, Bill was active in several professional societies. He is a life member of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, (SMPTE). He was granted a Senior Life Member in the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE).

During Bill’s 37-year career in radar and television engineering, he authored several articles that were published in technical magazines. In 1976, the chief engineer of NBC assigned Bill to write a 50 Year History of NBC Engineering from September 9, 1926 when NBC was formed as a Company to 1976. After retiring, using 80 original 8x10 photographs he had collected, he authored a book: “A Pictorial History of NBC Engineering”. His two articles and the pictorial book was accepted in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History in Washington D. C. October 4, 1996.

After retiring, Bill joined and became active in the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) and Served as President of the Patrick Henry Chapter SAR in Austin for two years, 1992-93. He also became a Life Member of the Men’s Garden Club of America and for 8 years conducted the Photograph Slide Competition for the Austin Chapter and the Southwest Region. He won many Blue Ribbons and Awards in the National Slide Competition and 4 of his photographs were used in the National Men’s Garden Club of America’s Calendar.

During Opal and Bill’s Career’s and after retiring, they did extensive Traveling in Europe, Africa, the Holy Land, Greece and the Greek Islands, Japan, Thailand and Hong Kong in the Orient and Western Samoa. They have traveled into Mexico, every State in the United States and all of the Provinces in Canada that borders on the United States. They have produced 16 Automated Slide Programs of their travels and have presented them in Churches, Retirement Homes, many Clubs in Texas and Schools. At the age of 13, Bill made a profession of Faith and was baptized in the Baptist Church in Gouldbusk, Texas. During his Career, he was faithful to his Church and served as a Deacon, Men’s Bible Teacher and Ushered. He and his wife served as Counselors in two of Billy Graham’s Crusades in the New York area. Since 1988, he has been a member of the Hyde Park Baptist Church in Austin where he has served as a deacon for many years.