Education
He attended the University of Pennsylvania and received an undergraduate degree in 1924 and a graduate degree in 1927.
He attended the University of Pennsylvania and received an undergraduate degree in 1924 and a graduate degree in 1927.
He was ethnic Armenian born in the Ottoman Empire. He and his family immigrated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States in 1907, following their persecution by Ottoman Turks. Tarzian worked for the Atwater Kent company and then for Radio Corporation of America in Bloomington, Indiana.
He founded the manufacturing company Sarkes Tarzian Enterprises in 1944, and was involved in early experiments in Very High Frequency audio broadcasting in 1946.
In 1949 he started television station WTTV in Bloomington. He sold that station in 1978.
The Sarkes Tarzian company was an important manufacturer of radio and television equipment, television tuners, and components. Its FM radio receivers helped to popularize the broadcast medium.
Sarkes Tarzian manufactured studio color television cameras in the mid 60"son
The manufacturing operations were spun off in the 1970s and today the company still exists as a broadcaster, owning several television and radio stations. Gray Television has owned a partial stake in Sarkes Tarzian, Incorporated., since the early 2000s. They had two children.
The Sarkes and Mary Tarzian Nature Preserve in Bloomington, Indiana, commemorates their names.
Tarzian was a member of the Rotary Club.