Jerry Lawson (engineer)
Gerald Anderson "Jerry" Lawson (December 1, 1940 – April 9, 2011) was an American electronic engineer. He was known for his work in designing the Fairchild Channel F video game console.
Jerry Lawson | |
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| Born | December 1, 1940 |
| Died | April 9, 2011 (aged 70) |
| Alma mater | Queens College |
| Occupation | Computer engineer |
| Children | 2 |
Early life
Jerry Lawson was born on December 1, 1940. His father was a longshoreman. His mother worked for New York City and as a member of a PTA. He had one brother, Michael. To earn money, Lawson dabbled in electronics. He repaired televisions. Lawson attended Queen College, which is part of City University of New York.
Public life
Lawson was a member of the Silicon Valley Homebrew Computer Club in the 1970s. He met many of the pioneers of personal computing, like Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, the founders of Apple Computer. In 1976. Lawson was the director of engineering and marketing at Fairchild Semiconductor. At that time, he developed a video game console called Fairchild Channel F. The console was the first which could play multiple games instead of one, marking his name permanently in history.
Death
At the age of 70, Lawson died from complications with diabetes.
Jerry Lawson (engineer) Media
The Fairchild Channel F, with the cartridge slot on the right of the unit
Source
- "Jerry Lawson". Biography.com. 2015. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2015.