Architectural acoustics

In this interview organized through the Acoustical Society of America, German inventor and scientist Gerhard Sessler reflects on his life and career in acoustics. Sessler begins by recalling his childhood in Germany and his high school math teacher who inspired him to study physics. He describes the beginning of his undergraduate studies at Freiburg University before transferring to the University of Munich, where he took classes from physicists such as Arnold Sommerfeld. Sessler recalls moving to the University of Göttingen for his graduate studies, where he was introduced to the field of acoustics by Erwin Meyer. He describes his master’s thesis on sound propagation in rarefied gases. Sessler then explains the opportunity that led him to Bell Labs to work with Manfred Schroeder, where his projects included work on transducers, electrets, sound propagation in plasma, and architectural acoustics. He discusses his collaboration with Jim West on the development of electret microphones, first using Mylar films and then transitioning to Teflon. Sessler recalls his decision to return to both academia and Germany by accepting a position at Darmstadt University. There, he continued his work on electroacoustics, materials research, and room acoustics, and he discusses his work on developing silicon microphones. Toward the end of the interview, Sessler recounts his time as chairman of the first German acoustics association, DAGA, and then his role as founding member of the German Acoustics Society, DEGA. He also reflects on the honor of being elected to the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1999, as well as receiving the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Electrical Engineering.

In this interview organized through the Acoustical Society of America, Greg Tocci discusses his life and career, focusing on his entry to the acoustics field, his relationship with ASA, and his long career with the acoustics consulting firm Cavanaugh Tocci. Tocci recalls his upbringing outside Boston as the son of an engineer, his undergraduate education in mechanical engineering at Tufts University, and master’s-degree work at MIT with Richard Lyon. He also discusses early jobs as a draftsman at a mechanical engineering firm and a researcher at the Army Materials and Mechanics Research Center at Watertown Arsenal, and his service in the Army Reserve during the Vietnam War. He then discusses his early career in architectural acoustics through the firms Cambridge Collaborative and Cavanaugh Copley and the circumstances leading to the splitting off of Cavanaugh Tocci in 1975. The interview concludes with a discussion of Tocci’s personal life and his ongoing work to train young employees and maintain the culture of Cavanaugh Tocci following his sale of his stake in it.

In this interview organized through the Acoustical Society of America, Per Brüel discusses his life and career, focusing especially on his introduction to the field of acoustical instrumentation and his work in industry. It also discusses his association with ASA and other national acoustical societies. Brüel recalls his upbringing in Jutland, education at what is now called the Technical University of Denmark, experiences during World War II, early R&D work in Sweden, and his relationship with figures such as P. O. Pedersen and Viggo Kjær. He also discusses his work on architectural acoustics and the origins and successes of such Brüel & Kjær products as the constant percentage analyzer, level recorder, and condenser microphone, as well as his criticisms of the A-weighting curve used in noise measurement. He reflects on Brüel & Kjær management issues, including his division of responsibilities with Kjær, how they made decisions jointly, relations with universities, advertising, and the strategic decisions leading up to the sale of the company in 1992. The interview concludes with discussions of Brüel’s interest in cars and flying, his family, and his activities following the sale of Brüel & Kjær.

In this interview, Andrew Carballeira interviews architectural acoustician William Cavanaugh. Cavanaugh discusses his family and childhood, his education at MIT, and experiences in the US Army. He describes his subsequent work as a consultant for Bolt, Beranek, and Newman designing acoustics facilities at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the Air Force Academy. Cavanaugh then describes his work as an independent consultant after leaving BBN, and his role in the formation of the National Council of Acoustical Consultants. Finally, Cavanaugh discusses his writing on acoustics and architecture, particularly Architectural Acoustics: Principles and Practice, which he co-edited with Gregory Tocci and Joseph Wilkes.

In this interview, on behalf of the Acoustical Society of America, Rich Peppin interviews Carl Rosenberg, Principal Consultant and Co-Founder of Acentech. Rosenberg discusses his upbringing in Poughkeepsie, New York, his educational experiences at Princeton and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his service in the U.S. Army. Rosenberg describes his involvement with early card-punch computing, his entrance into the world of architectural acoustics and the career developments leading to him becoming President of Acentech. The interview concludes with Rosenberg sharing details of his family life.

Educational background -- Cornell College, Iowa (1932-1936), Harvard University (1936-1940) with Frederick V. Hunt as thesis advisor; acoustics research at Harvard; teaching position at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (from 1947); formation of Bolt, Beranek and Newman (1948); research on electro-acoustics, architectural acoustics, acoustical impedance, aircraft acoustics, high altitude acoustics; community noise and noise control for aircraft; consulting projects including U. N. General Assembly room acoustics design (1950), Cleveland wind tunnel (1950-1951), Lincoln Center concert hall, San Diego concert hall; review of historical and modern concert hall designs; outdoor amphitheaters; president of Channel 5 television in Boston (1972-1983).