Donald Heirman

Heirman was born and raised in Mishawaka, Indiana, where his father worked as a foreman for Uniroyal (US Rubber).{{Cite web|last=Hochheiser|first=Sheldon|date=February 24, 2015|title=Oral History: Don Heirman|url=https://ethw.org/Oral-History:Don_Heirman|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210327143100/https://ethw.org/Oral-History:Don_Heirman|archive-date=March 27, 2021|access-date=March 27, 2021|website=IEEE History Center}} His potential as a student was evident from his time in Mishawaka High School, where he was involved in several extracurricular activities such as science and engineering clubs, choir, photographer for a newsletter, editor-in-chief of the yearbook,{{Cite news|date=May 8, 1958|title=MHS yearbook to make debut|pages=40|work=The South Bend Tribune|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72266059/the-south-bend-tribune/|access-date=February 28, 2021}} drama production,{{Cite news|date=March 21, 1957|title=Play cast rehearsing for junior class drame|pages=45|work=The South Bend Tribune|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72266214/the-south-bend-tribune/|access-date=February 28, 2021}} among others.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Donald Heirman: 1940–2020|url=https://www.emcs.org/assets/documents/DonHeirmanMemoriam2.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=February 13, 2021|website=EMC Standards|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204045321/https://www.emcs.org/assets/documents/DonHeirmanMemoriam2.pdf |archive-date=December 4, 2020 }} He also excelled academically, being inducted into the National Honor Society as a junior.{{Cite news|date=March 24, 1957|title=Mishakawa holds candlelight affair|pages=72|work=The South Bend Tribune|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72266623/the-south-bend-tribune/|access-date=February 28, 2021}} Graduating in 1958, he was co-salutatorian of his senior class, and received a Lions Club Award and a college scholarship from the Kiwanis Club.{{Cite news|date=June 3, 1958|title=Seniors hold class night|pages=21|work=The South Bend Tribune|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72016884/the-south-bend-tribune/|access-date=February 28, 2021}}

He obtained a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University in 1962, and a master's degree in 1963,{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Donald N. Heirman|url=https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECE/Alums/OECE/2011/heirman.html|access-date=February 13, 2021|website=Electrical and Computer Engineering – Purdue University|language=en}} with Floyd Van Nest Schultz, a radar and radio pioneer, being one the professors that most influenced him. While enrolled on his master's degree he met Lois Marlene, a local West Lafayette girl working as secretary of the men's residence hall. They were married on June 8, 1963, at the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in the Purdue campus.{{Cite news|date=January 24, 1963|title=Society News|pages=37|work=The South Bend Tribune|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72266008/the-south-bend-tribune/|access-date=February 28, 2021}}{{Cite web |title=Don and Lois Heirman cut the cake – Donald N. Heirman papers |url=http://e-archives.lib.purdue.edu/cdm/ref/collection/msa291/id/6 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906061033/http://e-archives.lib.purdue.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/msa291/id/6/rec/22 |archive-date=September 6, 2015 |access-date=February 28, 2021 |website=Purdue University Libraries}}

Heirman was an ensign in the US Navy Reserve, promoted to executive officer in the 1961 annual Navy review.{{Cite news|date=May 19, 1961|title=Lynch gets NROTC command|pages=7|work=Journal and Courier|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72266561/journal-and-courier/|access-date=February 28, 2021}} During active duty at the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations in the Pentagon from 1963 to 1965, he worked on predicting ship-to-ship high-frequency radio propagation. He retired in 1985 with the rank of Commander.{{Cite web|title=Certificate, 1985 June 1, Retired Reserve of the United States Navy|url=https://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/digital/collection/msa291/id/1|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210327142053/https://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/digital/collection/msa291/id/1|archive-date=March 27, 2021|access-date=March 27, 2021|website=Purdue University Libraries}}

Away from his work, Heirman was involved with his church's choir, collected Lionel Trains,{{Cite journal|last=Wall|first=Art|date=2020|title=The Legacy of Donald N. Heirman|journal=IEEE Electromagnetic Compatibility Magazine|volume=9|issue=4|pages=96–97|doi=10.1109/MEMC.2020.9328009|issn=2162-2272|doi-access=free}} and led a project to create a historical museum in Mishawaka, donating the building to house it and serving as board president.{{Cite web|last=Dits|first=Joseph|date=January 2, 2019|title=Downtown museum to tell Mishawaka stories with each artifact|url=https://www.southbendtribune.com/news/local/history/downtown-museum-to-tell-mishawaka-stories-with-each-artifact/article_486c8141-d27c-59d2-9e81-12f7de89e369.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210331040448/https://www.southbendtribune.com/news/local/history/downtown-museum-to-tell-mishawaka-stories-with-each-artifact/article_486c8141-d27c-59d2-9e81-12f7de89e369.html|archive-date=March 31, 2021|access-date=March 31, 2021|website=South Bend Tribune|language=en}}

He died from congestive heart failure, possibly alongside COVID-19 complications, on October 30, 2020, aged 80 years old,{{Cite journal|last=Duffy|first=Alistair|date=2020|title=Completed Careers: The Legacy of Donald N. Heirman|journal=IEEE Electromagnetic Compatibility Magazine|volume=9|issue=4|pages=94–97|doi=10.1109/MEMC.2020.9328009|issn=2162-2272|doi-access=free}} and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery alongside his wife.{{Cite web|date=October 31, 2020|title=Donald Heirman Obituary - (2020) - 80, Lincroft, NJ - Asbury Park Press|url=https://www.legacy.com/amp/obituaries/app/197027134|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301044054/https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/app/obituary.aspx?n=donald-n-heirman&pid=197027134&fhid=27008|archive-date=March 1, 2021|access-date=March 1, 2021|website=Legacy|language=en}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Tribute for Donald N. Heirman {{!}} John E. Day Funeral Home |url=https://www.johnedayfuneralhome.com/tributes/Donald-Heirman |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415000500/https://www.johnedayfuneralhome.com/tributes/Donald-Heirman |archive-date=April 15, 2021 |access-date=2022-06-03 |website=John E. Day Funeral Home |language=en}}

Heirman worked for Bell Labs in different capacities for over 30 years, mainly at the Bell Labs Holmdel Complex. He focused on electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) compliance testing and interference suppression research, for example in RF absorbers and anechoic chamber measurements. He received the Bell Labs Distinguished Technical Staff Award in 1982.{{Cite web|title=Donald N. Heirman papers|url=http://collections.lib.purdue.edu/heirman/collection.php|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210313000000/http://collections.lib.purdue.edu/heirman/collection.php|archive-date=March 13, 2021|access-date=March 13, 2021|website=Purdue University Libraries}} [https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=9328009 Alt URL] He was the founding manager of the Lucent Technologies (Bell Labs) Global Product Compliance Laboratory.

In 1997, after retiring from Bell Labs, he started his own EMC consulting company, Don Heirman Consultants, located in Lincroft, New Jersey.{{Cite web|title=Don Heirman Consultants LLC – Company Profile and News|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/0022114D:US|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210323110842/https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/0022114D:US|archive-date=March 23, 2021|access-date=March 23, 2021|website=Bloomberg|language=en}} He was also associate director of the Wireless EMC Center at the University of Oklahoma, in Norman.

Heirman was very involved with the activities of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), joining in the early seventies, serving in different capacities and eventually reaching leadership positions such as president of the EMC Society (1980–1981), and president of the IEEE Standards Association (2005–2006). He was named IEEE Fellow in 1987 for "leadership in establishing techniques and standards for accurate electromagnetic emission measurements",{{Cite web|title=IEEE Fellows Directory – Member Profile|url=https://services27.ieee.org/fellowsdirectory/getdetailprofile.html?custNum=2XHSfzW7FKyQIypAthfyrw==&bccaptions=Alphabetical%20Listing%20&bclocations=/fellowsdirectory/menuALPHABETICAL.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210319131809/https://services27.ieee.org/fellowsdirectory/getdetailprofile.html?custNum=2XHSfzW7FKyQIypAthfyrw%253D%253D&bccaptions=Alphabetical%2520Listing%2520&bclocations=%252Ffellowsdirectory%252FmenuALPHABETICAL.html|archive-date=March 19, 2021|access-date=March 19, 2021|website=IEEE Fellows Directory}} and IEEE Life Fellow in 2007.

He mentored and encouraged other engineers to participate in EMC Society standards work, such as Alistair Duffy, IEEE EMC Society president (2020–2021). Due to his contributions to the field over the years he was called "Mr. EMC Standards".

Heirman served in various roles in technical committees within the IEEE, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI):

• IEC Advisory Committee on EMC (ACEC), director, 2013–2020.{{Cite web|date=November 11, 2020|title=IEC mourns the passing of a top EMC expert|url=https://www.iec.ch/blog/iec-mourns-passing-top-emc-expert|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210223145547/https://www.iec.ch/blog/iec-mourns-passing-top-emc-expert|archive-date=February 23, 2021|access-date=February 23, 2021|website=International Electrotechnical Commission}}
• International Special Committee on Radio Interference (CISPR), chair, 2007.
• C63.4 (emission measurements) Working Group, IEEE, chair.{{Cite web |date=November 2, 2020 |title=ANSI Remembers Donald N. Heirman, Retired U.S. Navy Commander and Global Electrotechnical Standardization Leader |url=https://www.ansi.org/news-and-events/standards-news/all-news/2020/11/11-2-20-ansi-remembers-donald-n-heirman |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129172127/https://www.ansi.org/news-and-events/standards-news/all-news/2020/11/11-2-20-ansi-remembers-donald-n-heirman |archive-date=November 29, 2020 |access-date=March 1, 2021 |website=American National Standards Institute |language=en}}
• Technical Management Committee of the US National Committee of the IEC, life member.
• Testing and Certification Committee of the US Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA), vice chairman.

• IEEE Richard M. Emberson Award (2018): "For distinguished service advancing the technical objectives of the IEEE"{{Cite web|title=IEEE Awards Booklet – 2018 – 7|url=https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/awards_2018/index.php?startid=7#/p/6|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210323104917/https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ieee/awards_2018/index.php?startid=7#/p/6|archive-date=March 23, 2021|access-date=March 23, 2021|website=Nxtbook Media|language=en-US}}
• Elihu Thomson Electrotechnology Medal, ANSI (2017){{Cite web |date=July 31, 2017 |title=ANSI Announces Recipients of the 2017 Leadership and Service Awards |url=https://www.ansi.org/news-and-events/standards-news/all-news/2017/07/ansi-announces-recipients-of-the-2017-leadership-and-service-awards-31 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022003944/https://www.ansi.org/news-and-events/standards-news/all-news/2017/07/ansi-announces-recipients-of-the-2017-leadership-and-service-awards-31 |archive-date=October 22, 2020 |access-date=March 1, 2021 |website=American National Standards Institute |language=en}}
• Outstanding Electrical and Computer Engineer Award, Purdue University (2011){{Cite web|title=2011 Electrical & Computer Engineering Awards|url=https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECE/Alums/OECE/2011/index_html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210327135833/https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECE/Alums/OECE/2011/index_html|archive-date=March 27, 2021|access-date=March 27, 2021|website=Electrical and Computer Engineering – Purdue University|language=en}}
• IEC Lord Kelvin Award (2008){{Cite web |date=November 24, 2008 |title=US experts win Lord Kelvin Awards |url=http://www.hazardexonthenet.net/article/20717/US-experts-win-Lord-Kelvin-Awards.aspx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928015256/http://www.hazardexonthenet.net/article/20717/US-experts-win-Lord-Kelvin-Awards.aspx |archive-date=September 28, 2020 |access-date=February 28, 2021 |website=Hazardex}}
• IEEE Charles Proteus Steinmetz Award (1997){{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=IEEE Charles Proteus Steinmetz Award Recipients |url=https://www.ieee.org/content/dam/ieee-org/ieee/web/org/about/awards/recipients/steinmetz_rl.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904053319/https://www.ieee.org/content/dam/ieee-org/ieee/web/org/about/awards/recipients/steinmetz_rl.pdf |archive-date=September 4, 2020 |access-date=February 12, 2021 |website=IEEE}}
• Richard R. Stoddard Award, IEEE EMC Society (1995){{Cite web|title=Don Heirman wins the Richard R. Stoddard Award of the IEEE Electromagnetic Compatibility Society|url=http://e-archives.lib.purdue.edu/cdm/ref/collection/msa291/id/38|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210228234210/http://e-archives.lib.purdue.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/msa291/id/38/rec/23|archive-date=February 28, 2021|access-date=February 28, 2021|website=Purdue University Libraries}}

• {{cite journal | title = What makes Smart Grid — Smart — And who is in the "game"? | last1 = Heirman | first1 = D.N. | journal = IEEE Electromagnetic Compatibility Magazine | volume = 1 | issue = 2 | pages = 95–99| doi = 10.1109/MEMC.2012.6244981 | year = 2012 | bibcode = | s2cid = 23011014}}
• {{cite journal | title = In vitro study of the electromagnetic interaction between wireless phones and an implantable neural stimulator | last1 = Grant | first1 = H. | last2 = Heirman | first2 = D. N. | last3 = Kuriger | first3 = G. | last4 = Ravindran | first4 = M. M. |journal = Bioelectromagnetics| volume = 25 | issue = 5 | pages = 356–361| doi = 10.1002/bem.10204 | year = 2004 | pmid = 15197759 | bibcode = | s2cid = 38781950}}
• {{cite journal | title = Investigation of spurious emissions from cellular phones and the possible effect on aircraft navigation equipment | last1 = Kuriger | first1 = G. | last2 = Grant | first2 = H. | last3 = Cartwright | first3 = A. | last4 = Heirman | first4 = D. |journal = IEEE Transactions on Electromagnetic Compatibility| volume = 45 | issue = 2 | pages = 281–292| doi = 10.1109/TEMC.2003.811309 | year = 2003 | bibcode = | s2cid = }}
• {{cite journal | title = CISPR Subcommittee A uncertainty activity [RFI measurement] | last1 = Heirman | first1 = D.N. | journal = IEEE Transactions on Electromagnetic Compatibility| volume = 44 | issue = 1 | pages = 125–129| doi = 10.1109/15.990718 | year = 2002 | bibcode = | s2cid = }}
• {{cite journal | title = Time Variations and Harmonic Content of Inductive Interference in Urban/Suburban and Residential/Rural Telephone Plants | last1 = Heirman | first1 = D.N. | journal = IEEE Transactions on Communications | volume = 23 | issue = 12 | pages = 1484–1495| doi = 10.1109/TCOM.1975.1092761 | year = 1975 | bibcode = | s2cid = }}

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh7SUc_EzmQ&t=18s A Professional Life] - Video of Donald Heirman talking about his professional career
• [http://collections.lib.purdue.edu/heirman/index.php Donald N. Heirman papers] at the Purdue University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections

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Category:1940 births

Category:2020 deaths

Category:American electrical engineers

Category:Purdue University College of Engineering alumni

Category:Fellows of the IEEE

Category:People from Mishawaka, Indiana

Category:IEEE award recipients

Category:United States Navy officers

Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey