William E. Hardman

William E. (Ed) Hardman, Trade Association Executive and Fiction Author William Edward (Ed) Hardman, 92, a retired trade association executive and author, died of complications from multiple health issues April 19, 2011 at Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, Maryland. Mr. Hardman lived in Annapolis, but was a Bowie, MD resident for more than 40 years. He was born in East Orange, NJ and during his youth lived Livingston Manor, NY, Tunkhannock, PA, New York City and New Haven, CT. Upon high school graduation Mr. Hardman, an honors student, had to put off college to work and support his mother. To do so, he held a variety of jobs including machinist for the Marlin Firearms Company. World War II had broken out and at the age of 23 he enlisted in the United States Navy and served as Chief Petty Officer aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Marcus Island in the Pacific engaged in heavy combat activity against the Japanese Navy. Mr. Hardman was in charge of the aviation ordnance group on the flight deck. The ship received the unit citation for efficiency and valor under enemy fire, participating offensively in six major invasions and sea battles including the battle of Leyte Gulf, the world's largest sea battle. After the war, Mr. Hardman held several jobs and owned several businesses including a tavern in South Glastonbury, CT and a service station in Manchester, CT. During this period he also attended the University of Connecticut on the G.I bill, where he graduated in 1952 with honors and received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in English. In 1953, he went to work at Pratt and Whitney Aircraft, in East Hartford, CT, where he served as a training instructor teaching advanced math to machinists engaged in the manufacture of jet aircraft engines. In 1956, he became Supervisor of Training Instructors at Pratt and Whitney. In 1961 Mr. Hardman left Pratt and Whitney to assume the job of Director of Training for the international typewriter and business machine manufacturer Underwood- Olivetti in Hartford, CT. He devised and introduced several innovative training procedures which resulted in increased manufacturing quality as well as reduced production costs for numerous company products. In 1963 the corporation received the Training Award of the Year from the American Society for Training and Development. Also, while at Underwood, Olivetti Mr. Hardman wrote his first technical book entitled In Plant Training, Prentice Hall, which was widely read and utilized in the manufacturing world, and remained in print well into the 1980's. In March of 1964, Mr. Hardman became Director of Training for the National Tooling and Machining Association in Washington, D.C. In his first year at NTMA he authored three publications that were used nationally by toolmakers and machinists: Blueprint Reading for Toolmakers, 1964, NTMA, Machine Theory, NTMA, and Mathematics for the Machine Trades, NTMA. In 1966 he became President and Chief Operating Officer of NTMA a position he held for the next 20 years. NTMA is the trade association that represents the custom precision manufacturing industry in the United States. Under Mr. Hardman's leadership NTMA grew from an organization 700 members to over 4000 member companies. He developed and managed the largest skills training program in the country placing 17,000 previously unemployed persons in skilled jobs nationwide. Mr. Hardman had developed a national reputation for expertise in small business manufacturing and skills training. Ed Hardman was also known on Capitol Hill as a powerful lobbyist for skills training as well as other programs and fiscal incentives to assist the growth of the tooling and machining industry. In addition, Ed Hardman was a frequent visitor to the White House in every administration from Johnson to Reagan. In 1966 President Johnson appointed him to a task force to recommend improvements in vocational training. In 1971, at the personal request of President Nixon, Mr. Hardman led a trade mission to the Soviet Union, resulting in considerable business for the tooling and machining industry. In 1974, President Ford appointed him to the Small Business Advisory Committee of the Internal Revenue Service. President Reagan, in 1983, appointed Mr. Hardman to the National Advisory Council on Vocational Education. He was regarded inside the industry and out as an excellent writer and powerful speaker; an authority on the history of manufacturing and manufacturing techniques in the United States and abroad. He was a tireless advocate for small business manufacturing and skills training in America. He also served on the Board of Directors of the International Special Tooling Association, headquartered in Frankfort Germany, representing tooling and machining associations from 14 western world countries. Mr. Hardman retired from NTMA in 1986. In his honor, NTMA's Board of Trustees established the William E. Hardman Award for excellence in training. The award is presented annually to the tooling and machining company judged to have done the best job in skills training. Well into his retirement years Mr. Hardman resumed his passion for the written word. Having authored a number of technical books and articles during his career, he took to writing fiction. In 1999, Ed Hardman published his first work of fiction entitled The Bridge, Xlibris, a murder mystery that takes place in and around a location strikingly similar to Kent Island and Annapolis, Maryland. The book was well received by readers and Mr. Hardman was encouraged by his family and friends to keep up the "good work." In 2003, Mr. Hardman published his second work of fiction entitled Power to Kill, Xlibris. Power to Kill is an interesting and thrilling account of how and why the assassination of President Kennedy might have came about. Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Yolanda Hardman of Bowie, MD, four children, Dean Hardman, Stevensville, MD, Neil Hardman, Millersville, MD, Lee Hardman, Oldwick, NJ, Bret Hardman, Davidsonville, MD, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.