Parks, Robert J., 1922-

Robert J. Parks was born April 1, 1922, in Los Angeles, CA. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 1944. Parks then served two and a half years in the Army, and six months at Hughes Aircraft before joining the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in April 1947. Parks retired from JPL in June 1987.

Parks served as an Engineer in the Guidance and Control Section for three years before serving as Section Chief of the Guidance and Control Section, re-named the Guidance Analysis Section, from 1950-56. From 1956-57, he was Division Chief of the Research and Development Division. In 1957, he became Project Director of the Sergeant, serving until the program was phased out by JPL in June 1960. From 1959-60, Parks also served as Chief of Department III, Guidance and Electronics.

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