News

Hundreds, if not thousands, of new products are unveiled to the consumer electronics industry each year at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. But there would be no new products without the efforts of the scientists, engineers, journalists, inventors, company founders, and retailers who bring a product from concept to market.

To honor those leaders who have made significant contributions to the consumer electronics industry, and to build on the inaugural class of 2000 (see previous report), the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) welcomed seven new inductees into its Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame at the recent CES. CE Hall of Fame plaques were presented to the family or company representative of each inductee during the CES Awards Reception last week.

The inductees for the 2001 Hall of Fame are:
•Emile Berliner, patentor flat phonograph disc and Gramophone Company founder
•Sir John Ambrose Fleming, vacuum tube developer
•Hugo Gernsback, journalist
•Peter Laurits Jensen, car stereo and loudspeaker inventor
•Earl Muntz, television and auto sound entrepreneur
•Alexander Poniatoff, magnetic tape pioneer and Ampex Electric and Manufacturing Company founder
•George Westinghouse, Westinghouse Corporation founder

The CEA's Gary Shapiro stated, "I am pleased to have the opportunity to honor these individuals who, through their vision and persistence, have made substantial advancements that paved the way for today's workstyle and lifestyle products. These pioneers made significant contributions to the consumer electronics industry and laid the foundation for many of the products and technologies that have followed."

To select its inductees, the CEA asked a panel of 15 media and industry professionals to judge nominations which were submitted by manufacturers, retailers, and industry journalists. A complete list of inductees, their profiles, and CE Hall of Fame judges can be viewed online at the CEA website.