“passing of an era. jim made so many signal, the original...
TRANSCRIPT
“Passingofanera.JimmadesomanycontributionstoGPS–thesignal,theoriginalmonitorstationsandthebooksthatpropagatedhisgreatknowledgetothenextgenerations.Hewasalwaysaverypositiveandcreativecontributortotheworldofposition,navigationandtiming.Wewillmisshim,butholdhimasawonderfulexampleofengineeringandofStanfordgraduates.”
BradParkinson
“…Duringhishighschoolyears,theteachersdidn’trecognizewhatagiftedstudenthewas.But,oncehewasatCollegeofMarin,itdidn’ttakelongforhisinstructorstorealizehowsmarthewas.Twofacultymembers,PhysicsProfessorDr.C.A.PulskampandEngineeringProfessorCarltonCherry,recognizedhispotential.Theyprovidedcurriculumtomatchandchallengehisintelligence,butmoreimportantlytheymentoredandencouragedhimtoapplytoStanfordUniversity.”“TheysaidIwasthemostgiftedstudenttheyhadeverseen,andthattheyweregoingtofindawaytogetmeascholarshiptoStanford,andthat’sexactlywhattheydid.”
InterviewwithCollegeofMarin August4,2019
“…Scoringatthe99.99%levelinhismathematicsentranceexam,Spilkerwasawardedascholarshipandproceededtoearnhisundergraduatedegree,Master’s,andPhDinelectricalengineeringinjustfiveyearsbytheageof23.”
WebsiteofQE2Prize
“…JimSpilker,withoutwhomsatellitenavigationasweknowitmayneverhavehappened.Jimwasagreatman,aremarkableengineer,ahugephilanthropist,andagreatfriendtogenerationsintheposition,navigation,andtimingcommunity.”
MitchNarins
“Jimcanbelistedamongahalfdozenengineersasoneofthegreatpioneerswhodefineddigitalcommunicationsandnavigationinthetwentiethcentury.…For25yearsIworkedforandwithJim.Wetalkedeverydayandneverinallthoseyearsdidwehaveanykindofanargument.Wedidhavesometechnicaldisagreementswhichwediscussedanddebated,buttheyneverturnedintoanargument.”
CeliaandLenny
“ImetJimwhenIwasGPSChiefEngineerin2006.Irecallhiskindnessandbrilliance.IwasinaweofhisdesignoftheGPSCourseAcquisition(C/A)signalusedbybillionsofpeopleworldwide.Tosayhewasaremarkablemanisanunderstatement.HisunsurpassedcontributionstoGPSandPNTwillpersist.Hewasagreatmanandissorelymissed.”
MarkCrews
“Navigationlostaleader.Wewillalwaysrememberhiscontributiontonavigation.”
XiaochunLu
“Myjobwaskeepingtheprogram‘alive’inthefaceoffierceoppositionandbudgetarypressures.JimandBradplayedakeyroleinadvancingthetechnologyandapplications.Allofusarerewardedbyseeingtheworldwideacceptanceofthesystemtoday”
BillPerry–March20,1996
“AllofusareproudoftheawesomecontributionsyouhavemadeovertheyearstotheGPSSystem,whichhashadasignificantimpactonnotonlyourexceptionalmilitarycapabilities,butourexceptionalcivilandcommercialapplications.GPShashadunbelievablemultiplyingeffectonoureconomicwellbeing.Wewhohavebeenfortunateenoughtoworktogetherwithyoustandtallerjustbeingatyourmentoringside.”
RobertRosenberg–June14,2010
“Asanentrepreneur,Iwearrosecoloredglasses.AnnaMariesometimes,wherenecessary,changesthattintmoreinkeepingwithreality.”
JimSpilker
“EversinceIknewyouandJim,youhavebeenthisamazingcompaniontohim.Heissofortunatetohaveyouinhislife.”
JadeMorton
“FewpeoplewillhavethepositiveimpactontheworldthatJimSpilkerdidinhislifewell-lived.”LeoHollberg
“IhaveknownJimfortwodecades.Hewassuchagraciousandagenerousperson.Jimhadsomanyqualities-brillianceasanengineer,perseveranceasanentrepreneur,dedicationasaresearcher,andwarmthandopenheartednessasacolleague.Helovedlifeandliveditthefullest.Inallthis,hehadawonderfulpartnerinyou.YourloveanddedicationforJimisaninspirationtousall.”
ArogyaswamiJPaulraj
“…Thetwoofyoumadeagreatandremarkablecouple.”
JohnHennessy
“What can one do when standing in the wake of an exceptional life but to see it as an example to ourselves.”
Paul Montgomery
“StanfordTelecomwasacorralforthetrulyintelligent.UnderJim'sleadership,StanfordTelecommunications(1973-99)wasanoutstandingexampleofhowtodoeffectiveandexceptionalteambuildingandattractingandretainingthebestandthebrightest.”
TomSylvester
“…asanewlymintedengineerandIwasblessedtoworkwith,andlearnfrom,manyoutstandingpeopleinthoseearlydays.AttheverytopofmylistofearlymentorswasJimSpilker.WorkingwithJimwaseffectivelylikeearninganadvanced
degreeincommunications sciencewhileonthejob.”
SteveLagna
“HewasthebestbossIeverhadandI’llbeforevergratefulforallhedidforme.”
LeeGamma
“Jimprovidedabeaconofwizardlikeintelligenceandcourageousleadershipfortherestofustofollow.HewasastalwartmentorformeinmytoughtransitionfromProfessortoVicePresidentatSTel.”
JohnE.Ohlson
OtherPassions
…andCompetitions
“ThebookthatJimco-authoredwithBradParkinsonhasbeenafoundationaltextbookforme,asIhaveworkedontheGPSsystemforalmost20years.JimhasbeenaveryinspirationalfigureinGPS,Stanford,andSiliconValley,andyourgenerosityareatreasureforStanfordanditscommunity.“
RanwaHaddad
“Jimwasanextraordinary.Hisideasarestillaliveineveryone'spocket.I'mgladIhadthechancetomeethim.”
AlbertoStochino
SCPNTCo-FoundersPerEnge&JimSpilker
SanGregorioUnder
Construction
Jim’sToys
SanGregorioCompleted
“ItishardforustoacceptthatJimisgone.HispositivespiritandcreativitywereessentialtothecreationofGPSaswellasmanyoftheprofoundapplicationsthatGPSenabled.Hesetanextremelyhighstandardwitheverythinghetouched.IparticularlyrecallhisdynamicforceinthecreationofthetwovolumeAIAAbooks.Morethananyofus,hewastheforcetodrivethatproject.Furtherhefosteredthecareersofmanyoftheyoungeracademics.ThenthetwoofyoumadeanenormouscontributiontoStanfordandtheeducationofnewgenerationsofengineers.HewillbemissedandrememberedbyeveryonewhowasinvolvedintheinitialcreationofGPS.”
BradandGinnyParkinson
“AsaformerstudentandPhDgraduateoftheStanfordGPSlab,I'mdeeplygratefultohavehadthechancetobenefitfromJim'sinsightfulcommentsandcritiqueduringtheregularlabmeetings.HewasatruetitanoftheGPSandStanfordcommunities,butasastudent,Ialwaysfelthewasveryapproachable.”
GabrielWong
“…hewasalsosomeonewhocaredverydeeplyaboutthenextgeneration,abouteducationandaboutfindingwaysforuniversitiestomoreeffectivelytacklethebigproblemswefacetoday.Hewasachampionofinterdisciplinaryresearchteams.HewasaveryvaluableadvisortomewhenIwasdeanandalwayshadthoughtfulandoftenunexpectedideasonhowtotacklebothopportunitiesandproblems."
JimPlummer
“IamdeeplyhonoredtohaveknownJimsince2014,whenIhadthepleasuretohavelunchanddiscussproblemswithhim.Iwasalsoinvitedtohishouse,whenItookthisfunpicturewhenJimwasshowingoffhissprintingskillonthebeach.Jimwasafun,kind,andgenerouspersoninmymemory.“
Yu“Joy”Jiao
Radar
Merry
Siam
“…ProfessorJimSpilker'spassingisnotonlyaprofoundlossfortheStanfordPNTCenter,butalsoaprofoundlossforourcooperation.Iamtrulygratefultohisgreatsupporttomeandmyteaminthepast10years,andwillalwayscherishthoseunforgettablememoriesofhim.”
MingquanLu
“WewillalwaysvaluehisdeepaffectionforhisalmamaterandareveryproudthatyournamesgracetheJamesandAnnaMarieSpilkerEngineeringandAppliedSciencesBuildingoncampus.”
Marc
Tessier-Lavigne
“HewasatechnicalgiantwhowasincrediblygeneroustoStanford.Jimwasawonderfulpersonwhoseenthusiasmwasinfectious.”
PersisDrell
“…Jimwasapioneerinsignaltimingtechnologyforwhichhehasreceivednumerousprestigiousawards.Tome,Jimwasapersonalfriend,afamilyfriend,andanunequaledsupporterofourdepartment.”
CharbelFarhat
“Itissadtoloseourelderfriendswhoguidedusoutofthegoodnessoftheirheart.Thereinliesthemarkofgreatpeople.Theydoforotherswithoutanexpectationofareturn.Theydoitbecauseitisattheheartoftheirnature."
LoganScott
“Asanengineerhisworkhastouchedthelivesofbillionsofpeoplearoundtheglobe,andwillcontinuetodosoforyearstocome.Hisjourneytotheverysummitofourprofessionservesasaninspiration,notonlyforthosealreadyembarkingontheirengineeringlife,buttoyoungpeoplethroughouttheworldlookingforacareerwhichcanchangelives.Hisphilanthropyensuresthatgenerationsofstudentswillhaverealopportunitytofollowinhisfootsteps.”
TheLordBrowneofMadingley