Norman Diamond ’54 Makes a Generous and Significant Gift to the Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation
Norman Diamond ’54 Makes a Generous and Significant Gift to the Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation
Norman Diamond ’54 Makes a Generous and Significant Gift to the Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation
Beyond the classroom, he participated in a wide range activities such as working at WNYE radio station, which was housed in Brooklyn Tech’s tower; the Amateur Radio Club; the Electrical and Physics Prep Squads; and even the Cafeteria Squad – affectionately known as the “Slop Cops.” These experiences reflect a student deeply engaged in both the academic and community life of the school.
Diamond went on to build a career starting at the New York City Transit Authority and then in Washington DC, where, as Fare Collection Engineer, he worked to develop the innovative magnetic farecard payment system for the new Washington Metro that was later also implemented in the NYC Transit system.
Upon completion of the initial Metro construction, he moved to Chicago where he and others at General Signal Corporation started Genfare, a company devoted to the design, manufacture and implementation of bus installed fare collection and ancillary equipment. The transition from tokens to coins to paper money to magnetic cards resulted in the first use of electronics to augment and replace purely mechanical systems. The bus fareboxes of his design were and are used on buses in every state and Canada. With the advent of magnetic farecards, he led the company in the design and manufacture of transit ticket vending machines. His work focused on equipment and systems that employed human factors design, reliability, revenue security and electronic data capture. This early work helped lay the groundwork for the various automatic fare collection systems now in use and which millions of riders rely on every day.
In addition to his work as designer, inventor, and VP of Marketing, Diamond continued to shape the industry through leadership and advisory roles. After retiring from Genfare, he served as a fare collection consultant with Nextek in Northbrook, Illinois and served as chairman of the American Public Transit Association Fare Collection Committee, helping guide best practices and innovation across the public transit sector. Today, his generous support of the Alumni Foundation reflects a continued commitment to engineering excellence and educational opportunity.
“Norman Diamond’s extraordinary gift is a powerful affirmation of what a Brooklyn Tech education makes possible. His career and ingenuity and impact define our alumni community, and his generosity will directly support programs that give today’s student the tools to follow in his footsteps."
—Courtney J. Ulrich ’90, Executive Director of the Alumni Foundation.
When asked as to his reasons for making his gift to the BTAF, he said that as a teen in a grown-up world, he was exposed to technical subjects such as drawing, machine shop, foundry, electronics, industrial materials and many more – which in later life became the bedrock of his work and success. As a boy of modest means who has had this extraordinary opportunity of a rich and varied education, he wanted to help others to experience the same degree of educational exposure by helping the various BTAF programs to achieve these goals.
Gifts like Diamond’s make it possible for the Alumni Foundation to expand support for academic teams, student clubs, scholarships, and enrichment opportunities that transform and enhance the Brooklyn Tech experience. In investing in the next generation of innovators, leaders, problem-solvers. Alumni like Norman Diamond ensure that the school’s legacy of excellence continues to thrive.
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To learn more about how you can support Brooklyn Tech students or to make a gift of your own please visit here or contact Michael Kwon, Director of Development, at mkwon@bthsalum.org.
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