Robert E. Warr

Distinguished Alumni 2016

• BA 1949, Physics, Fisk University
• MS 1951, Physics, Purdue University

Robert Warr spent his career at the National Bureau of Standards and General Electric.  Retired since 1987, Mr. Warr was the first African-American to become an Engineering Consultant at Corporate GE.  His responsibilities in that role included consulting on all new GE products to assure product reliability and training GE Engineering and Production personnel in the development and production of reliable products, visiting all GE plants in the United States during the course of his career.  His role also took him to Japan to consult with the Sharpe Company on the 1^st GE microwave oven, where he met daily with the company president.  Mr. Warr was manager of the Microelectronic Reliability & Design Review Center at GE Electronics Laboratory from 1970-1977.  He was a contributing engineer to the 1^st GE smoke alarm, the 1^st GE microwave oven, and the 1^st GE Point of Sales Unit.  In 1974 he received the General Electric Gerald L. Phillippe Award for Public Service.

Mr. Warr is a Life Trustee at Syracuse University.  He has also served on the Syracuse Board of Education, the Syracuse Council, and as a trustee of Cazenovia College.  He holds a BA in Physics from Fisk University and a MS in Physics from Purdue University.  While at Purdue, he was advised by Prof. Hubert Yearian.