The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) today announced the 2009 class of inductees into the Consumer Electronics (CE) Hall of Fame. The announcement came during CEA’s Washington Forum, a two-day technology policy conference held at the JW Marriott in Washington, DC. The CE Hall of Fame, created in 2000, honors consumer electronics industry leaders who made vital contributions to the products and services that consumers value and are a vital part of our nation and its economy.
Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of CEA, praised the new members for their efforts to improve the lifestyles of consumers all over the world. “These individuals have contributed enormously to the growth of the consumer electronics industry. They are truly deserving of this honor,” he said.
The CE Hall of Fame includes inventors, executives, engineers, retailers and journalists who are selected by an independent panel of industry judges. The judging for 2009 inductees took place at the Warwick Hotel in New York on February 24th. Nominations were submitted by industry professionals and media through online submissions.
These leaders will be inducted into the CE Hall of Fame at a special dinner and ceremony during CEA’s Industry Forum to be held in Phoenix, Arizona October 18-21, 2009.
Following are the new members of the 2009 CE Hall of Fame in the categories in which they were inducted:
Founders/Inventors
- Dr. Irwin M. Jacobs, co-founder of Qualcomm who led the commercialization of CDMA technology.
- The team of Karl Hassel and Ralph Mathews, founders of the Chicago Radio Laboratory, which later became Zenith Radio.
Sales/Marketing
- Steve Jobs, co-founder and CEO of Apple Inc. who helped to create one of the first commercially successful PCs, the Macintosh (Mac).
- John Shalam founded Audiovox Corp. and helped establish the aftermarket car audio business, the aftermarket security business and the mobile video business. He also has served as CEA Chairman.
- The late Neil Terk, founder of Terk Technologies, introduced the Pi antenna in 1987. The Pi was selected to be sold through the Museum of Modern Art.
Retailers
- Walton Stinson is president and co-founder of the Denver-based Listen Up audio/video specialty chain and also co-founded the Professional Audio Video Retailer’s Association (PARA) in 1979.
- The Cohen brothers: Norman, Maurice and Philip, grew their father’s Cambridge tire store in Boston into the discount retail giant Lechmere Sales that specialized in CE products.
Miscellaneous
- Richard E. Wiley, past Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), played a pivotal role in the development of HDTV, serving as Chairman of the FCC’s Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Service for nine years.
- Dr. Joseph Flaherty demonstrated HDTV to the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers in 1981 and also gave demonstrations to FCC and other officials, who established the Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Systems, leading to the ATSC standard.
Journalist
- Aaron Neretin is a consumer electronics journalist who wrote for Merchandising Week.
About CEA:
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $172 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. More than 2,200 companies enjoy the benefits of CEA membership, including legislative advocacy, market research, technical training and education, industry promotion and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA also sponsors and manages the International CES — Where Entertainment, Technology and Business Converge. All profits from CES are reinvested into CEA’s industry services.
