IN MEMORIAM

t is with a deep sense of loss that I A truly outstanding record of I write about my friend and col- achievement and honors belongs to league, Harvey Fletcher, eminent Fletcher. He was a co-founder of the scientist and engineer, who died on Acoustical Society of America and 1981 July 23 at the age of96. A trail- became its first president. In appreci- blazing investigator of the nature of ation of his leadership, he was made speech and hearing, Dr. Fletcher was an honorary member-an honor at known for his significant contribu- that time shared only with Thomas tions in music, acoustics, electrical Edison. A president of the American engineering, speech, atomic , Society for the Hard of Hearing, he motion pictures, and education. was also elected to honorary mem- Born in 1884 in Provo, Utah, bership in the American Otological Fletcher spent his youth enjoying Society, the Audio Engineering So- camping and fishing trips into the ciety and the American Speech and mountains with his family. He later Hearing Society. In 1924 he was described these close family experi- awarded the Louis E. Levy Medal for ences as "the highlights of my boy- physical measurements of audition by hood." As a 14-year-old he once an- the . President of nounced that he would "rather be the American Physical Society, he al- H. Fletcher good than famous," a statement so received the Progress Medal Award which reflects his early commitment from the American Academy of Mo- to morality. The record of his per- to join the company doing research tion Pictures in Hollywoood. U.S. sonal and professional life testifies to in sound. While there his genius was President Harry Truman honored the fact that he managed to succeed recognized and he was appointed di- him with a Certificate of Merit in in both pursuits. rector of physical research when the 1948. For his distinguished work in Fletcher studied at Brigham company became Bell Telephone the field, Fletcher received Gold Young University, graduating in Laboratories. During his career at Medals from the Audio Engineering 1907. As a graduate student at the Bell he published 51 papers and two Society, the Acoustical Society of , he participat- books, Speech and Hearing, and America, and the Society of Motion ed in an experiment with Professor Speech and Hearing in Communica- Picture and Television Engineers. Robert A. Millikan to isolate a single tion, both considered major treatises Fletcher had more than 20 patents and measure its charge. In- on the subject. He was responsible in his name and wrote numerous pa- stead of using tiny atomized water for the development of early West- pers published in professional jour- droplets to determine the charge as ern Electric Hearing Aids. He, in nals dating from 191 1 to 1965. He Millikan attempted, Fletcher's ap- fact, made a hearing aid for Thomas received honorary doctorate degrees proach was based on the use of atom- A. Edison, who was one of Fletcher's from six universities. Yet, all these ized oil. The importance of this acquaintances. are only a small sampling of the achievement was recognized when Fletcher supervised the develop- many achievements of this remark- Millikan received the Nobel Prize. ment of the clinical 2A Audiometer able man. This fundamental research contrib- and of a survey method of testing The father of five sons and one uted to the field of electronics, which hearing, which was widely accepted daughter, Fletcher was both a de- led to the development of the radio in schools all over the country. In voted husband and father, as well as and television industry. Fletcher was 1933 he and his group of scientists an active member of his church, the graduated summa cum laude with a and assistants were the first to dem- Latter-Day Saints, where he held Ph.D. from the university in 191 1. onstrate trans- high office. His guiding hand was In the summer of 191 1 Flectcher mission and stereophonic recording responsible for generating a spirit of returned to Brigham Young Univer- (1939). He worked with conductor enthusiasm. integrity and spirituality sity as chairman of the physics de- in 1939 in a con- in the lives of countless students and partment. After teaching for five cert given at Carnegie Hail featuring scientists who have felt the influence years he accepted an invitation from stereophonic recording. The audience of' his life and work. Frank Jewett, head of research at heard the Salt Lake City Tabernacle in New York City, Choir singing in three dimensions. Mark Gardner

J. Aud~oEng. Soc , Vol 29, No 9. 1981 September 685