Proving Ground: A Memoir

by W. David Tarver

Overview

Proving Ground traces David Tarver's journey from ambitious youth to determined entrepreneur to “free man.” It began in Flint, Michigan, where David wondered why his father, an accomplished radio/TV/electronics technician, exercised his passion only in the basement of their home. Inspired by his father and by the civil rights movement, David resolved to start a company that made “electronic stuff.” He wanted to prove that, given the opportunities his father had lacked, he could take charge of his career and his life. After college at General Motors Institute and the University of Michigan, David began his professional career at AT&T Bell Laboratories. After seven years at Bell, he decided to leave to pursue his childhood dream. Overcoming the bigotry that pervaded the electronics industry at the time, David succeeded in creating a company that made “electronic stuff”—in the basement of his home.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781879384927
Publisher:	W. David Tarver
Publication date:	07/02/2012
Pages:	488
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

W. DAVID TARVER was born and raised in Flint, Michigan. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and then went to work for AT&T Bell Laboratories. Tarver left Bell in 1983 to start Telecom Analysis Systems (TAS). In 1995, he engineered the sale of TAS to Bowthorpe (now Spirent) plc for $30 million. From 1996—99, Tarver spearheaded the creation of a $300 million Spirent telecommunications equipment business. At the end of 1999 he left Spirent as group president, telecom business unit, to pursue community service and family interests.

Table of Contents

Prologue 1

Part 1 Flint

1 Flint River 6

2 Science Fair Loser 17

3 1963 23

4 Radio 32

5 Kid Business 38

6 1968 45

7 One of a Kind 53

8 Science Fair Winner 63

9 Most Likely To 71

10 "GMI is Free, Boy!" 80

11 AC and Me 86

12 A Fork in the Road 97

13 Moog Magic 104

14 Goodbye, Pops 107

Part 2 Ann Arbor

15 Michigan Man 118

16 Cheated 131

17 No-Plea McAfree 137

18 Gotcha! 142

19 Almost Obsolete 149

20 Not Dr. Tarver 155

Part 3 New Jersey

21 Mecca 162

22 Garden State 177

23 A Nigger in the Woodpile 184

24 Breakthrough 193

25 A Dream Dies 196

26 An Idea is Born 203

27 Love and Technology 209

28 Movin' on Up 219

29 Nerd World War 226

30 Last Stand 237

31 Basement Brigade 243

32 Leaving Bell Labs 252

Part 4 Venture

33 Money 256

34 The Gauntlet 262

35 1984 268

36 World's Oldest Profession 279

37 The Missing One 285

38 Southern Surprise 292

39 Double-Cross 306

40 Nuts, Misfits, and Rejects 315

41 California Showdown 324

42 International 331

43 World Class 341

44 Mandela is Free, Bill 363

45 Hitting the Wall 371

46 Hard Drive 377

47 In the Valley 386

48 Turnaround 394

49 Exit Strategy 400

50 Break Some Eggs 411

51 The Dubious Dance 416

52 End Game 422

53 Free at Last 427

54 The Long Goodbye 432

Epilogue 443

Acknowledgments 455

Author's Note Regarding Pseudonyms 457

Index 459

Permissions Acknowledgments 473

What People are Saying About This

Bill Haney

In his remarkable career, David Tarver has achieved successes as an engineer, creative thinker, and businessman. Along the way, he confronted—and surmounted—obstacles that would have derailed a person without his drive, resilience, and integrity. To his many accomplishments, David Tarver now adds the legacy of his memoir, Proving Ground, a wise, inspiring story told with candor and poignancy, the story of a man who simply would not be denied.--Bill Haney, founder, Momentum Books; former associate director and managing editor, University of Michigan Press

David C. Munson Jr.

This captivating book about pursuing a dream offers a remarkably personal account, beginning with a family history rooted in slavery. David Tarver's success is a reminder that, even in an imperfect America, education and perseverance trump all.--David C. Munson Jr., Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering, University of Michigan

Editorial Reviews

Proving Ground is at once a great American success story and a surprisingly revealing exploration of the challenges faced by a black man determined to succeed in the largely white, never colorblind, corporate world.... That Tarver-electrical engineer, inventor and founder CEO of a breakthrough firm-prevails and ultimately builds a flourishing company is a tribute to his intelligence, focus, and determination. Proving Ground offers a memorable ride around a corporate track whose curves and bumps demonstrate how racism can undermine even the most talented among us. It's a riveting read for any American with a dream to succeed or an interest in better understanding the nuances of unequal opportunity in post-civil rights era America.
—Detroit News

Laura Berman