James Edward Maceo West

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James Edward Maceo West (February 10, 1931 –) is an American inventor and acoustician. With Gerhard Sessler, West developed the foil electret microphone in 1962. Born in Prince Edward County, Virginia, he received his BS in Physics from Temple University in 1957. West went on to receive 250 US and foreign patents on microphones and techniques for making polymer foil electrets.

After a 40-year career, culminating as a Bell Laboratories Fellow, and retiring from Lucent Technologies in 2001, West joined the Whiting School at Johns Hopkins University where he is a research professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. West also founded the Association of Black Laboratory Employees (ABLE), which in turn led to the establishment of the Cooperative Research Fellowship Program and the Summer Research Program for college students. ["Microphone inventor West discusses black, Hispanic heritage in Technology", Princeton Weekly Bulletin, Feb.4, 2008 ]

In 2006, West was awarded the prestigious U.S. National Medals of Technology [ [http://www.technology.gov/Prel/pr070716.htm Secretary Gutierrez Congratulates 2006 National Medal of Technology Laureates ] ] . He is also a member of the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

References

External links

* [http://www.math.buffalo.edu/mad/physics/west_jamese.html Physicists of the African Diaspora] Web Site at SUNY Buffalo
* [http://www.lucent.com/news_events/articles/020916.html "The Electret Turns 40"] , Lucent Technologies article