The Connector Industry Remembers Dr. Bob Mroczkowski
The electronics industry has lost one of its great innovators and educators. Dr. Bob’s legacy includes the deep and enduring base of knowledge he shared with interconnect professionals across the world.
The connector industry is mourning the news that Dr. Bob Mroczkowski has died. Longtime readers of Connector Supplier know him simply as “Dr. Bob;” his expertise and influence across the electronics industry is so enduring that no last name is needed.
Bob’s career in the electronics industry began when he received his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in metallurgy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He worked for RCA in New Jersey for several years, then joined the research division at connector manufacturer AMP Incorporated in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he specialized in connector design and performance. He stayed at AMP until his early retirement in 1998.
“Bob was an incredible source of knowledge and goodwill among AMP Inc. customers and fellow employees. He applied his metalogical background with experience working with James Whitley, considered by many the father of contact physics. He had the unique ability to explain complex interactions at separable electrical interconnects in terms that anyone could understand. His positive attitude, sense of humor, and open personality combined with deep technical expertise made him both a valuable resource and friend to all he met,” said Connector Supplier contributor Bob Hult, who worked with Dr. Bob at AMP. “I will miss his many stories of events he encountered while traveling, including being chased by a goat while out one evening taking pictures.”
Dr. Bob never truly retired. He founded the connector consulting practice of connNtext associates, conducted training seminars, provided expert witness testimony, and continued to share his wealth of connector knowledge in many articles and white papers. Würth Electronik recently published “Trilogy of Connectors: Basic Principles and Connector Design Explanations,” co-authored by Bob Mroczkowski, Romain Jugy, Alexander Gerfer, and Thomas Robok. Bob passed away on August 20, 2019, at age 80. He leaves behind a wife, children, grandchildren, and many friends across the electronics industry.
Connector Supplier is grateful for Bob’s many contributions to our publication. Please take the time to explore his articles; they offer an unparalleled wealth of information for professionals working with interconnects. He loved to share his knowledge and his large collection of technical articles on connector technologies can be accessed in our archives. His subjects include plating materials, connector testing, connector wear, design challenges, power contacts, and many other topics. He often collaborated with Max Peel, another industry legend whose work we are proud to share. We imagine the two together once again, enjoying cigars and a fine bottle of scotch.
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