Overlooked Utah Inventor Made Your Everyday Life Sound Better

When you listen to the radio in your car or through a pair of headphones, you can thank this man from Utah for making it sound so good. The inventor of stereo sound, hearing aids, and a whole lot more started life in the beehive state. 

Professor and Physicist that Changed the Way Humans Hear Things

This man is overlooked by the world and even here in Utah. His name was Harvey Fletcher and he had a big impact on our daily lives. Born in Provo way back in 1884, Fletcher attended Brigham Young University where he began to teach in 1908. 

He went on to get a doctorate at the University of Chicago and then worked at Bell Laboratories where he made significant breakthroughs in how sound is transmitted. When you hear music in stereo, you can thank Harvey Fletcher. 

Hearing Aids and Realistic Sound that Scared Audiences 

Fletcher was fascinated with reproducing sounds on a recording that matched what you heard in person. He was the first to separate sound into channels on the left and the right. This stereo effect is taken for granted these days, but it blew people away back then. 

Watch this YouTube Video of Harvey Fletcher's life.

When he demonstrated how it worked in an auditorium, some people were so frightened by how real an airplane engine sounded that they hurried from the room. Fletcher changed sound as we know it with all kinds of inventions and patents. 

Another crucial invention from this man from Utah was the hearing aid. This has made a big difference for those who suffer hearing loss. Fletcher was pleased when he found Thomas Edison wore one of his hearing aids later in life. 

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So, the next time you listen to one of your favorite songs, think about how good it sounds and give credit to one of Utah’s unsung heroes.