In Memoriam: Jerry Williams, pioneer in assistive listening

Gerald Ivar ‘Jerry’ Williams, the founder of Williams Sound, passed away on 30 November at the age of 96.

Jerry’s journey into the world of electronics began during the second world war, when he enlisted in the US navy and served as an electronic technician’s mate onboard the USS Artemis.

After graduating with an electrical engineering degree from the University of Minnesota, Williams played a pivotal role in developing colour TV receivers for Zenith, and was part of the team that developed the Univac file computer at Engineering Research Associates.

In 1958, Williams co-founded Transistor Electronics, where he designed and manufactured computer displays. His journey continued at Control Data, where he served on the technical management staff until 1979. By the time he left Control Data, Williams held seven patents covering a variety of digital data displays, electrical circuit switching, and signal controls.

However, Williams’s enduring legacy lies in the company that bears his name and the products he created. In the mid-1970s, prompted by a request from his pastor to help those with hearing loss in the congregation, he conceived a revolutionary wireless listening system – the Personal PA broadcasting system.

By broadcasting the service from an AM radio transmitter, listeners with a pocket radio receiver and earphones could sit anywhere they chose, control their own volume, and hear the service directly without bothersome background noise.

Williams and his wife, Lorraine, established Williams Sound Corp in 1976, which is dedicated to providing solutions for people with hearing loss. Jerry’s next innovation was a personal amplifier called the Pocketalker, which established the assistive listening device (ALD) market.

Since 1982, the Pocketalker has helped millions of hard-of-hearing people worldwide. Jerry’s commitment to aiding those with hearing loss led Williams Sound to continue to trailblaze the AV industry’s assistive listening space. He introduced FM radio and infrared assistive listening products with innovative features such as multi-channel operation and frequency agility.

Williams retired from Williams Sound in 1987, but his passion for helping others persisted. Even in retirement, he volunteered his expertise to enhance the sound systems of local churches and mentored aspiring AV and recording professionals.

Williams Sound – now Williams AV – remains dedicated to ensuring public spaces are accessible, with assistive listening products at the core of its business. Moreover, the company has broadened Williams’s goal of enhancing communication through assistive devices for language interpretation, wireless intercoms, guided tours and entertainment.