# Earl E. Bakken

> Earl Elmer Bakken (1924-2018) was an American electrical engineer, Medtronic co-founder, longtime company leader, and philanthropist. Raised in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, he turned an early fascination with electricity into a repair business founded with Palmer Hermundslie in 1949, wrote Medtronic’s mission in 1960, founded the Bakken Museum in 1975, and helped establish the Pavek Museum of broadcasting history.

- **Role:** Electrical engineer, inventor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist
- **Organizations:** Medtronic, The Bakken Museum, Pavek Museum
- **From:** Columbia Heights, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, University of Minnesota
- **Known for:** Co-founded Medtronic in 1949., Authored Medtronic’s six-tenet mission in 1960., Founded the Bakken Museum in 1975.

## Career timeline

- **World War II** — Served as a radar maintenance instructor.
- **1948** — Graduated from the University of Minnesota in electrical engineering.
- **1949** — Co-founded Medtronic with Palmer Hermundslie on April 29 in northeast Minneapolis.
- **1960** — Wrote the Medtronic mission statement.
- **1975** — Founded the Bakken Museum in Minneapolis.
- **1988** — The Pavek Museum, which he helped establish with Joe Pavek and Paul Hedberg, opened on October 29.
- **1989** — Retired from Medtronic.
- **1990** — Elected to the National Academy of Engineering.
- **2018** — Died at his Hawaii home on October 21, aged 94.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Medtronic in 1949.
- Authored Medtronic’s six-tenet mission in 1960.
- Founded the Bakken Museum in 1975.
- Helped establish the Pavek Museum.
- Received the University of Minnesota Outstanding Achievement Award in 1981.
- Received the IEEE Centennial Medal in 1984.
- Elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1990.
- Received the Russ Prize in 2001.

## Latest updates

- **2025-10** — The Bakken Museum celebrated its fiftieth anniversary year, including an October celebration.
- **2024-04** — Minnesota recognized April 29 as Medtronic Day on the company’s seventy-fifth founding anniversary.

## Links

- Website: https://www.earlbakken.com/

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Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-15