Leo Beranek's mother offered him this advice when he was young - advice he followed and still remembers: "Leo, study hard, get ready for college, and make a decent life for yourself." Twenty-one years later he earned the Doctor of Science degree in Communication Engineering from Harvard University, specializing in the field of acoustics and 62 years later, he was invited to a ceremony at the White House to receive the 2002 National Medal of Science from President George W. Bush "For his leadership, dedication and contribution to the art and science of acoustics, for co-founding one of the world's foremost acoustical research and consulting firms, and for sustained contributions to scientific societies and civic organizations."

Leo's family asked him to write a memoir about his nine decades of experiences, and this memoir appears in the book Riding the Waves; A Life in Sound, Science, and Industry, published recently by MIT Press. His life journey is told in 10 chapters filled with interesting details and insights describing "the roller-coaster swings - the success and failures, joys and sorrows," along with "what worked so well for me - and what clearly did not." And I was prompted to write this editorial especially to draw attention to this book and to "what worked . . . and what did not."

Leo grew up in Solon, IA, a small farming town where his great-grandparents from Bohemia had settled and his grandfather and father had been born. By the time he was a high school student, he had taken a correspondence course in how radios work and established a repair shop for radios above his father's hardware store. Money he earned was saved for college expenses. While at college, he continued working at many part-time jobs, including radio repair, electrical wiring, waiting tables at a restaurant, playing drums for local dance bands, and assisting engineers at a radio company.

After graduating with a bachelor's degree from Cornell College in 1936, he was accepted on a scholarship to the Graduate School of Engineering of Harvard University. He worked hard in this challenging environment, received high grades, and earned his Master of Science degree the following year. He then continued his studies as Professor Frederick V. (Ted) Hunt's first doctoral student at Harvard's Cruft Laboratory and served as his assistant working in room acoustics and electro-acoustics.

From 1940 to 1945, Leo directed important and urgent wartime projects at Harvard's laboratories. These projects dealt with, for example: enhancing systems for in-flight cockpit voice communications, reducing the loud noise in bomber cockpits (to reduce pilot fatigue during long-range operations), and improving combat information centers and communication channels onboard U.S. Navy ships.

For many of us, the best known aspect of Leo's life is his formation 60 years ago and the growth and success of the acoustical consulting firm Bolt Beranek and Newman (BBN). He resigned the tenured facility position he held at MIT in 1958 to join BBN on a full-time basis. The partnership of Richard (Dick) Bolt and Leo Beranek (Bolt and Beranek; Robert Newman came aboard later) began with a major project dealing with the acoustical design of the then new headquarters building of the United Nations.

There soon followed another project of considerable significance: developing defensible noise criteria whose acceptance paved the way for commercial jet aircraft travel. The Port of New York Authority required that the new Boeing 707 jet not be noisier than the four-engine propeller planes then flying in and out of Idlewild airport (now JFK); enabled by acceptance of the newly developed noise criteria, Pan American and BOAC flew the first two transatlantic jet aircraft passenger flights between New York and London airports on the night of October 26-27, 1958. Additional information about acoustical consulting at BBN is provided in the book Sound Ideas available from the ASA on-line book store http://asa.aip.org/publications. html#pub32b.

In 1957 Leo convinced J. C. R. ('Lick') Licklider to join BBN and authorized the purchase of their first computer for $30,000. At the time they were not sure what the computer would be used for, but both believed that it would help the firm expand into new and important areas. And expand the firm did. As just one example of new computer applications, BBN designed, built, and operated the ARPANET - the first operational international packet-switching network, which was the precursor to the global Internet we take for granted today. Some say that BBN was involved in the development of the Internet superhighway when it was just a dirt trail.

Leo helped to form and managed Boston Broadcasters Incorporated to operate Channel 5 television in Boston. His book describes the difficult and protracted regulatory, financial, and technical challenges that lasted nine years, involved dozens of people, four hearings at the Federal Communications Commission, four appearances at the U.S. Court of Appeals, and three hearings before the U.S. Supreme Court. It also involved considerable bank debt and near bankruptcy, but broadcast approval finally was received and WCVB-TV went on the air on March 19, 1972. Soon there appeared an article in the New York Times headined: Some Say This Is America's Best TV Station.

Music and architecture have always been important in Leo's professional life. He has applied his technical expertise while consulting on the acoustics of performance spaces, including most recently the concert hall at Tokyo Opera City and the adjacent New National Theater - of which it is said that "Art + Physics = Beautiful Music." As a sideline, Leo has also served various nonprofit organizations, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, pulling both out of financial difficulties.

In summary, Riding the Waves provides human, as well as technical and professional insights. In response to the question he is often asked as he approaches his tenth decade, "what is the secret to being alive and kicking at your age?" He provides his views on the benefits of exercise, specific foods, and mental attitude, which he credits for his being healthy with most of his "joints and marbles still intact." Clearly this book should be read by both acousticians and non-acousticians, and particularly by anyone working at, managing, or wanting to start a technical consulting firm. Read, enjoy, and learn from this interesting book about a pillar of our profession. I had Acentech purchase 60 copies to be autographed by Leo for our employees.

© 2008 Acoustical Publications, Inc. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.