Harry F. Olson, Ph.D. (1901-1982) RCA Laboratories, Camden and Princeton, N.J. H One of Olson's early projects was the velocity microphone, the first microphone with uniform directivity, which became the standard for broadcasting use. He later pioneered several other directional types of microphones, including the unidirectional types used in television broadcasting and sound motion picture filming. During World War II, he developed underwater sound equipment, anti-noise microphones, and high powered announcing systems. He also made pioneering contributions to loudspeaker development, including the development and improvement of phonograph pickup and disc recording equipment, sound motion picture and development of electronic noise reducers, stereophonic sound systems, magnetic tape recorders for sound and television, the electronic music synthesizer, and an experimental voice-activated phonetic typewriter. Olson held over 100 U.S. patents on devices and systems in the acoustical field and was the author of more than 130 articles and professional papers. His books, Acoustical Engineering and Dynamical Analogies, have long been standard reference texts around the world. Several of his inventions are in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1959. Olson earned bachelor’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Iowa. |
