CMI/IUPUI Speaker Restoration Project: Harry F. Olson
This week’s blog post is all about the main designer behind these speakers, Harry F. Olson, an accomplished inventor and researcher at RCA for a large part of its more experimental forays into audio and visual technology in post-World War II America. Olson was a key figure in the development of directional microphones, synthesizer technology, sound design, and so much more in a time of economic and industrial prosperity for the United States. After obtaining his B.E., M.S., and Ph.D at the University of Iowa, Olson was eventually hired as a researcher at RCA in 1940 and worked in developing the acoustic technology of RCA radios. This technology was initially designed for military use (World War II was in full effect, after all), particularly with underwater signal transmission and voice communication. When the war was over, his research team switched over to acoustic solutions for non-military usage, particularly for television broadcasts and sound recording. This led to the d...