C4IP is recognizing James West (born 1931) and Gerhard Sessler (born 1931), whose invention of the electret microphone transformed the way the world captures sound.
- West and Sessler came from different backgrounds — West from a Black family in Virginia, where his mother worked as a human computer or “Hidden Figure” for NASA, and Sessler from Germany — but the two teamed up at Bell Labs when they were assigned to develop a compact, durable, and inexpensive new form of microphone.
- In 1962, they patented their invention: an “electret” microphone that used a plastic film to retain an electrical charge rather than a battery, allowing it to be produced affordably and in very small sizes.
- West and Sessler’s microphone revolutionized numerous technologies, including recording devices, phones, hearing aids, and GPS devices.
- Ninety percent of the microphones produced today are estimated to be electret microphones.
- The invention of the electret microphone earned West the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 2006, raising his profile as an advocate and role model for minorities and women becoming engaged in STEM.
- As smart technology develops, the economic impact of West and Sessler’s invention is only growing: in 2024, the global market for microphones was valued at over $4.3 billion.