What is All the Noise About? Making a difference – Ralph Hillquist

By Jim Thompson

This column is going to be a little different. I want to issue a challenge to those reading this. You are all aware of people who have an idea and make things happen. This is my take on one of them, Ralph Hillquist. Meeting him changed my life. I want to ask if you in some small way can follow Ralph’s example.

In 1985, the first SAE Noise and Vibration Conference (NVC) was held in Traverse City, Michigan.  I met Ralph Hillquist for the first time at this conference. I did not know it at the time, but Ralph had created this conference.

Ralph passionately believed in getting people together to solve problems. He was eager to talk with people about issues related to noise control and the automotive industry. He had worked for General Motors, but his passion really took off after he retired. He made it his mission to create a noise and vibration conference for the mobility industry, and he worked tirelessly to make it happen.

If you saw Ralph at the early NVC events, he was a blur. He was walking quickly from one place to another grumbling about something not being done right or that he had to talk with this person or that. It is no exaggeration to say that he made this conference a success by his force of will. His enthusiasm and dedication were infectious. All of us, even remotely involved in the conference, felt we had to do more to live up to Ralph’s example.

The fortieth anniversary NVC was just held a few weeks ago with roughly 900 people attending. It is the largest mobility noise and vibration conference in the world. It continues to be the conference that anyone involved in mobility noise and vibration feels they must attend. The list of attendees includes companies from aircraft to off-highway manufacturers. The supporting industries and suppliers are also there. Clearly, Ralph’s legacy lives on.

However, Ralph’s legacy is much more than just a conference. Let me jump back to 1985 and relate the impact Ralph had on my life. In 1985 I was standing in line to get my conference proceedings. In those days, you had to register and get a ticket to get your proceedings. They were thick books of hundreds of pages.

As I was standing in line this white-haired guy was walking past me. He suddenly stopped and came up close to read my name tag. He asked if I worked in tire noise, and I said yes. He then grabbed my arm and pulled me into a room off the hall in which I was standing.

This white-haired guy was Ralph Hillquist. He was concerned about efforts in Europe to regulate tire noise and wanted someone from the US involved. After 45 minutes of discussion, I got back in line to get my proceedings. I did not know it at the time, but that meeting changed my life. I had only been at Goodyear for less than two years. I knew just enough about tire noise to be dangerous, but Ralph decided I was the guy to represent the US.

After that meeting, I attended meetings with the EU in Brussels and ISO in Geneva. I served as part of a US tire industry group of experts providing advice and information to a series of international committees. Also, I chaired an SAE standards committee on pass-by noise. I doubt any of this would have happened if I had not met Ralph. It is not an exaggeration to say that he changed my life.

After that first meeting, Ralph always stopped to say hello and talk with me whenever we met. I was just a “peon”, and he was a big wheel. His attention really meant something to me. Most of the time at conferences or meetings, Ralph would grab my arm and pull me over to meet someone. Often neither the person nor I knew why Ralph was introducing us. However, later in my career these people became important acquaintances and advisors. I hope this gives a glimpse of Ralph’s impact on me.

To prevent leaving the wrong impression, this is my story, but Ralph was mentoring and encouraging dozens of other people. Many of the people he introduced me to were also those he was hoping could take a leadership role. Ralph’s impact was much greater than just that on me. Beyond the conference, Ralph affect the lives and careers of many people.

The Challenge

Can you follow in Ralph’s footsteps? Can you make a difference in noise control. Maybe you have already done so but could do more. I do my best to remember the example set by Ralph. He believed in bringing people together to solve problems and worked tirelessly to bring groups together. I have tried to stay involved with INCE and SAE especially with organizing and participating in conferences. My biggest effort toward meeting the challenge of living up to Ralph’s ideals has been making the co-location of the SAE NVC and the INCE-USA NOISE-CON conferences happen in 2017 and 2023. I will also be helping with the collaboration in 2027. It took me 10 years to make the event happen in 2017, but heading towards the tenth anniversary, it seems worth the effort. I hope Ralph would appreciate what I have done.

So, what about you? What have you done or what are you going to do to bring people together to solve noise control issues? I would like to hear your ideas and accomplishments.