H. Taylor Howard was an American scientist and radio engineer. Howard was a major player in the development of consumer satellite television in the USA. In 1976 he demonstrated the possibility of receiving of TV signal from a communication satellite direct to the home of an ordinary householder, using a home-made satellite dish and a self-designed and built analog satellite receiver. He co-founded San Jose, California-based Chaparral Communications. He was born in Peoria, Illinois.