Audio pioneer and founder of the Massachusetts-based Bose Dr. Amar G. Bose dies age 83 according to statements from both the company and MIT, where he was a former faculty member. No cause of death is given as yet.
Bose started the company sharing his name in 1964, basing it on research conducted at MIT. He received his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and doctorate in electrical engineering from MIT, and joined the faculty in 1956.
He remained faculty member until 2001, despite initial intentions of teaching for no longer than 2 years.
In 1956 Bose started a research program in physical acoustics and psychoacoustics, leading to the development of many acoustics, electronics, nonlinear system and communication theory patents.
The main Bose audio advancement the idea of housing speaker components separately, with high-range tweeters apart from low-range woofers. The company is the biggest loudspeaker maker in the US, with 8000 employees and annual revenues worth around $2.2 billion. 4
“It is impossible to put into words what Dr. Bose meant to each of us, and to Bose," company president Bob Maresca says. "He was more than our Chairman. He was our teacher-- always encouraging us, always believing that we could do great things, and that anything was possible."
In 2011 Dr. Bose donated his majority stake in the company to MIT as nonvoting shares, with dividends going into research grants and education support.