Our Arklahoma Heritage: Technology innovator, public servant was born in Van Buren in 1894

Donald A. Quarles, born on July 30, 1894, in Van Buren, was a distinguished engineer and senior executive who made significant contributions to both the telecommunications industry and the United States Department of Defense.

Born to Robert Warren Quarles and Mary "Minnie" Elizabeth (Hynes) Quarles, Donald's early life was marked by movement. His father, listed on census records as a farmer and businessman, was born in 1865 in Oxford, Mississippi.

The family migrated through Georgia and South Carolina before settling in Mississippi several years before the Civil War. Robert lived in Van Buren until his death in 1933. His body was sent back to Mississippi, and Donald's mother presumably moved back to the Deep South at that time to live with family.

Donald Quarles graduated from Van Buren High School at the age of 15, where he later taught mathematics. He attended summer school at the University of Missouri and was accepted into Yale University in 1912, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics in 1916.

In May 1917, Quarles enlisted in the United States Army during World War I as an artillery officer in the legendary "Rainbow Division". He attained the rank of captain and served in France and Germany for two years.

After the war, Quarles began his career at Western Electric Company, later joining Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1925. He advanced through the ranks, becoming director of the Transmission Development Department in 1940, focusing on military electronic systems, particularly radar development.

In 1946, he became director of Apparatus Development and was elected Mayor of Englewood, New Jersey, serving from 1946 to 1948.

Quarles transitioned to government service in 1953, appointed as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Development. He later served as Secretary of the Air Force from August 15, 1955, to April 30, 1957, and as Deputy Secretary of Defense from May 1, 1957, until his death on May 8, 1959.

Upon his death, Quarles received a special military funeral arranged by the Military District of Washington.

His casket lay in the Bethlehem Chapel at the Washington National Cathedral for twenty-four hours before the funeral service. Following the service, a procession led by Vice President Richard M. Nixon and President Eisenhower escorted his casket to Arlington National Cemetery.

Posthumously awarded the United States' Medal of Freedom in 1959, Quarles' legacy was further honored in 1966 when a mountain range in Antarctica was named after him.

The D.A. Quarles Early Childhood Center in Englewood, New Jersey, also stands as a testament to his contributions.

Donald A. Quarles' work in radar technology and military communications was instrumental during World War II and the early Cold War period.

His leadership in both the private sector and government exemplified a life dedicated to innovation and public service.