Above all, Norm Parmet knew who he was. Sitting in a NASA briefing, with most onlookers nodding sagely in agreement, Norm eventually would sit up straight, give his grand moustache a twirl, and with a twinkle in his eye, say: "You know, this doesn't all add up . . . I've got a few concerns." When Norm's questions were eventually addressed, he would not inevitably be proven correct (although often he was) but everyone in the room always was more informed because the Norm-instigated exchange had taken place.
Norm knew who he was. That is a helpful trait when you are flying B-17s or B-29s as Norm did during World War II in the U.S. Army Air Force. It helps when you become one of the first persons of Jewish faith to complete the aeronautical engineering degree (1947) at the Drexel Institute of Technology in Philadelphia. Or when you become Drexel's star athlete, lettering in football, basketball and tennis. Much later, in 1997, Norm was the first inductee into Drexel University's newly created Athletic Hall of Fame.
As a fresh-out aeronautical engineer, Norm, in 1947, signed up with Trans World Airlines where he would spend the next 34 years. He was involved with design decisions affecting all of TWA's new aircraft, such as the Boeing 707 and Convair 880. He chaired the U.S. airline committee reviewing designs of supersonic aircraft in the U.S. and Europe. As TWA's Vice President—Engineering and Quality Assurance, Norm was exceptionally influential in shaping the design of today's commercial aircraft through his involvement in critical development phases, stretching from technical development and contractual responsibility to quality assurance of new aircraft construction.
Following his retirement from TWA in 1981, Norm brought his knowledge and experience to the service of others, as a private consultant, and as chair and member of NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (1982-2001). It was in this role that Norm's commitment to mission safety stopped more than one meeting in its tracks and gained him a reputation in NASA and with the U.S. Congress (where he testified frequently) as someone who simply told the unvarnished truth, regardless. Norm always knew who he was.
Norm married Jean Pollon in 1945. He is the father of Allen, Barbara, and Michael, and the proud grandfather of five.
Norm's final moments came while he was playing doubles tennis with Jean. He was, characteristically, winning the match. In fact, Norm had just served an ace to his opponent when he stopped, hesitated, collapsed, and died. Many of his friends suspect that Norm must have had a hand in writing his departure script. Norm always knew who he was.