ETHW:Takashi Sugiyama Tribute Gifts

IN MEMORIAM TAKASHI SUGIYAMA, 1924 – 2013

IEEE and the IEEE historical community mourn the loss of our esteemed Trustee of the IEEE History Center Emeritus, Takashi (Tak) Sugiyama. You are invited to honor his memory by making a tribute gift to the IEEE History Center Milestones Program Fund.

Sugiyama was a long-time advocate for the IEEE History Center Milestones Program and all of IEEE’s historical activities. His passion for the history of technology is not surprising. As the son of a chief engineer at Mitsubishi Electric Company, technology and engineering played an important role throughout his life. After he graduated from the Tokyo Imperial University in 1947, with a degree in electrical engineering, he joined Yokogawa Electric Works, where he remained for the rest of his career. During his career, he received several awards for his work, including the Prime Minister Award for invention of the pulse modulation technique in 1972, and in1975 the Purple Ribbon Medal from the Japanese Government. In 1983 he was elevated to a Fellow of the IEEE for developments in precision power measurement techniques and for leadership in electronic measurement and control industries. Sugiyama’s contributions to technology were many; from his dissertation, “Pulse Width Modulation A/D Converter,” to his contributions to the Japanese and global industrial economy as Vice President of Yokogawa Electric Company and then President of Yokogawa Medical Systems (see his biography and oral history interview on the IEEE Global History Network). He also served as a mentor for at least two generations of Japanese electrical engineers.

As a friend and advocate for the history of technology, he was a top donor to the IEEE History Center and recognized as making “significant contributions to the History Center at crucial stages in its founding and development.” He was active in the historical activities of the IEEE Tokyo Section (later the Japan Council), and was a leading force behind the first IEEE Milestone in Electrical Engineering and Computing in Japan, the 1924 Directive Short Wave Antenna, dedicated in 1995. Today, thanks to pioneers like Sugiyama, there are now more than 130 dedicated IEEE Milestones worldwide. The Japan Council remains one of the most active IEEE organizational units in proposing Milestones; seventeen of which are in Japan.

When the IEEE Foundation established the Trustees of the IEEE History Center to help raise funds for IEEE’s historical activities, Sugiyama gave generously of his time, talents, connections, and with personal financial contributions. Sugiyama was named a Trustee Emeritus in recognition of his outstanding effort. In 2010, the IEEE History Committee recognized him for a lifetime of historical activity on behalf of IEEE.

Tak will be missed by Japan, the world engineering community, IEEE, and, especially, by the IEEE History Center. Gifts may be made in his memory in one of two ways.

1. Mail a check made payable to the IEEE Foundation – Milestone Fund along with a completed memorial giving form to the IEEE Foundation, 445 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA; or
2. Use the IEEE Foundation Online Giving page:
   • Go to IEEE Foundation Online Giving Site http://www.ieee.org/donate
   • Fill out all of the coordinates (name/mailing address/email address/gift amount/credit card info)
   • Under the box for "Designations", select the History Center Milestones Program
   • After your donation is processed, you will receive an email auto-acknowledgement
   • Forward that email to the alias donate@ieee.org with a note that this donation is "in memory of Tak Sugiyama"
   • An IEEE staff member from the alias donate@ieee.org will write you an email reply that your donation is being applied as requested.

If you have questions or need assistance making a gift, please call +1 732 562 5550 or email donate@ieee.org.