Mr. Delos M. Palmer
1998 Distinguished Alumni
Mechanical Engineering
Class of 1952
Delos Palmer Jr. will be the first to agree that engineers make the world go… But
he'll also make sure you understand that engineering works best as the result of a
team effort. As he explained, even one of his heroes, Thomas Edison, though as an
individual was unquestionably a genius, benefited and succeeded just as surely due
to the talent and work of the team that made his ideas a reality.
Looking into the professional and personal past of Del Palmer Jr. and you see the
common thread… Whether as a part of the team or its leader, his commitment to the
quality and capability of an exceptional team rings resoundingly clear.
The admiration and respect of his father, Delos M. Palmer, the College's founding
Dean, rings just as clear. Del remembers his father as a man of optimism and confidence.
Del also remembers his father telling clients they could and would do even the most
difficult of projects. And, together the father and son did. Del remembers a man who
never told him what to do, but would instead give his son challenges.
Del Palmer Jr. is a man who easily accepts challenges. Engineering and problem solving
were in his blood from the time he was a young boy. The same man who would as a boy
get into his father's tools to take apart bicycles and modify wagons would grow to
be a man known and respected by many in his field and his community.
The list of Del's accomplishments is long and varied… As a professional, Del has made
a difference in the projects he has lent his time, talent and energy. His peers recognized
this in 1983 when they named him the Toledo Engineer of the Year. He has also made
a difference for many lives through community service. Whether through his service
as the President of the Rotary Club in 1979 and 1980 or the record breaking United
Way Campaign in 1978 or his continued involvement and contributions to the University
of Toledo College of Engineering, Del has given generously to the community he calls
home.
Someone once told Del that the true measure of what a CEO has done is evidenced in
how the company is doing 10 years after he's left. Palmer Associates remains an outstanding
company regarded by many as one of the area's most respected consulting firms.
Del's competitive and team oriented nature has also made sailing, auto racing and
golfing the activities of choice. The skills and challenges of dealing with the forces
of nature further reinforce to Del how most of what we do in life is done better with
the combined talent of a good team. From his brief auto racing days Del draws another
parallel to life… The time spent in preparation for the race is most important because
the hard work that comes before will determine just how well you finish.
Del and his wife Ann have been married for 46 years and have a beautiful family with
daughters Jennifer and Deborah and their children. Their son Douglas will forever
remain close in their hearts. For more information on Delos Palmer, Jr. and the Palmer
and Associates Company contact the website www.palmerassoc.com.