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Early life |
Early life |
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Scott Dalton Holden was born April 9, 1931 in [[San Francisco]]. His parents divorced when he was young, and he attended 13 schools through high school. In 1949, he joined the [[United States Army Air Forces|Army Air Force]], and |
Scott Dalton Holden was born April 9, 1931 in [[San Francisco]]. His parents divorced when he was young, and he attended 13 schools through high school. In 1949, he joined the [[United States Army Air Forces|Army Air Force]], and completed his basic training at [[Lackland Air Force Base]] in [[San Antonio]]. After nine weeks, he went to [[Sheppard Air Force Base]] to be trained as an aircraft mechanic. He then went to [[Norton Air Force Base]] in [[San Bernardino, California]]. He was assigned to Flying Safety and investigated aircraft accidents in the United States. After six months, he joined a wing that was sent to central [[France]], where he spent the rest of his enlistment. |
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For college, Holden attended Healds Engineering College, which offered a two-year degree in [[mechanical engineering]]. He also went to a junior college in [[Reedley, California]], where he majored in aeronautical maintenance: there he earned a commercial license as an A&E Mechanic. |
For college, Holden attended Healds Engineering College, which offered a two-year degree in [[mechanical engineering]]. He also went to a junior college in [[Reedley, California]], where he majored in aeronautical maintenance: there he earned a commercial license as an A&E Mechanic. |
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Early Inventions |
Early Inventions |
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As a [[Speech–language pathology|speech pathologist]], Ruth explained to Scott that she would check out two tape recorders from the audio department in the school where she was working as a speech therapist (first in the [[San Francisco Unified School District|San Francisco unified school district]] and then the [[Palo Alto Unified School District]]. She would place the machines together, running the magnetic tape from the first recorder and spooling it on the second machine Then she would start both machines together, |
As a [[Speech–language pathology|speech pathologist]], Ruth explained to Scott that she would check out two tape recorders from the audio department in the school where she was working as a speech therapist (first in the [[San Francisco Unified School District|San Francisco unified school district]] and then the [[Palo Alto Unified School District]]. She would place the machines together, running the magnetic tape from the first recorder and spooling it on the second machine. Then she would start both machines together, speak into the microphone of the first machine, and have it play back on the second machine. In this way, she would speak a word, such as ‘sunshine’ into the microphone, then have the child say the world. The machines would play back both utterances, and the child could compare how they said the word to how Ruth said it. Ruth asked Scott if he could develop a better way to do this, with one machine and a four-second delay, as the dual machines were a visual distraction, as well as being awkward and clumsy to set up and use. |
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Working with a colleague, Scott developed the mechanical design while Curtis designed the electronic circuit. Scott took Curtis’ schematic and produced a printed circuit board. After buying the electronic components he inserted and soldered them into the PC board. In Scott’s design he used a hysteresis synchronous electric AC motor that would pull a small loop of Mylar tape at 15 inches |
Working with a colleague, Scott developed the mechanical design while Curtis designed the electronic circuit. Scott took Curtis’ schematic and produced a printed circuit board. After buying the electronic components he inserted and soldered them into the PC board. In Scott’s design he used a hysteresis synchronous electric AC motor that would pull a small loop of Mylar tape at 15 inches per second. This tape speed would provide the high-fidelity sound to produce the fricative sounds in speech. Ruth took the instrument to work with her, and found that students were immediately able to modify their fricative sounds – S, CH, TH, and F. |
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Within five weeks of developing their new instrument, the Northern California Speech and Hearing Convention held their annual convention at the [[Palace Hotel, San Francisco|Palace Hotel]] in San Francisco, and Ruth and Scott demonstrated their new instrument there. They named it the Phonic Mirror and drew a crowd with their invention. |
Within five weeks of developing their new instrument, the Northern California Speech and Hearing Convention held their annual convention at the [[Palace Hotel, San Francisco|Palace Hotel]] in San Francisco, and Ruth and Scott demonstrated their new instrument there. They named it the Phonic Mirror and drew a crowd with their invention. |
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Phonic Mirror |
Phonic Mirror |
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With $1,500 in their bank account, a year of marriage, and Ruth having a stable job, Scott quit his job at the Sierra Corporation and they founded HC Electronics Inc. and made the equipment in their apartment. Scott redesigned the HC 100 to play back |
With $1,500 in their bank account, a year of marriage, and Ruth having a stable job, Scott quit his job at the Sierra Corporation and they founded HC Electronics Inc. and made the equipment in their apartment. Scott redesigned the HC 100 to play back 4 dB louder, and to have only one knob for ease of use. A speech therapist could play back the sounds once or several times to reinforce the child’s learning progress. The Holden’s offered Curtis shares in the new company, many of Ruth’s colleagues invested in the new corporation, and [[Wells Fargo]] provided a $10,000 line of credit. |
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The Holden’s displayed their equipment at every state and national audiology and speech pathology convention. Within the first year, they had contracts with 18 companies in the U.S. They found an office building in Tiburon, hired an electronic technician and two production personnel. |
The Holden’s displayed their equipment at every state and national audiology and speech pathology convention. Within the first year, they had contracts with 18 companies in the U.S. They found an office building in Tiburon, hired an electronic technician and two production personnel. |
Revision as of 20:06, 17 June 2023
Scott D. Holden is an American entrepreneur, inventor, and engineer with numerous patents for instrumentation designed to help those with speech, language, and hearing impairments, which allowed children to be mainstreamed into regular classrooms.
Early life
Scott Dalton Holden was born April 9, 1931 in San Francisco. His parents divorced when he was young, and he attended 13 schools through high school. In 1949, he joined the Army Air Force, and completed his basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. After nine weeks, he went to Sheppard Air Force Base to be trained as an aircraft mechanic. He then went to Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino, California. He was assigned to Flying Safety and investigated aircraft accidents in the United States. After six months, he joined a wing that was sent to central France, where he spent the rest of his enlistment.
For college, Holden attended Healds Engineering College, which offered a two-year degree in mechanical engineering. He also went to a junior college in Reedley, California, where he majored in aeronautical maintenance: there he earned a commercial license as an A&E Mechanic.
Holden’s employment included Pan American World Airways, Hillyer Helicopters in Palo Alto, Lenkurt Electric Company, and Sierra Corporation.
On a camping trip, Holden met Ruth Johnson, a speech pathologist about to start a master’s degree program at Northwestern University in Evanston. They soon fell in love, married, and moved to Tiburon, California, where they had gone sailing many times.
Early Inventions
As a speech pathologist, Ruth explained to Scott that she would check out two tape recorders from the audio department in the school where she was working as a speech therapist (first in the San Francisco unified school district and then the Palo Alto Unified School District. She would place the machines together, running the magnetic tape from the first recorder and spooling it on the second machine. Then she would start both machines together, speak into the microphone of the first machine, and have it play back on the second machine. In this way, she would speak a word, such as ‘sunshine’ into the microphone, then have the child say the world. The machines would play back both utterances, and the child could compare how they said the word to how Ruth said it. Ruth asked Scott if he could develop a better way to do this, with one machine and a four-second delay, as the dual machines were a visual distraction, as well as being awkward and clumsy to set up and use.
Working with a colleague, Scott developed the mechanical design while Curtis designed the electronic circuit. Scott took Curtis’ schematic and produced a printed circuit board. After buying the electronic components he inserted and soldered them into the PC board. In Scott’s design he used a hysteresis synchronous electric AC motor that would pull a small loop of Mylar tape at 15 inches per second. This tape speed would provide the high-fidelity sound to produce the fricative sounds in speech. Ruth took the instrument to work with her, and found that students were immediately able to modify their fricative sounds – S, CH, TH, and F.
Within five weeks of developing their new instrument, the Northern California Speech and Hearing Convention held their annual convention at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, and Ruth and Scott demonstrated their new instrument there. They named it the Phonic Mirror and drew a crowd with their invention.
Phonic Mirror
With $1,500 in their bank account, a year of marriage, and Ruth having a stable job, Scott quit his job at the Sierra Corporation and they founded HC Electronics Inc. and made the equipment in their apartment. Scott redesigned the HC 100 to play back 4 dB louder, and to have only one knob for ease of use. A speech therapist could play back the sounds once or several times to reinforce the child’s learning progress. The Holden’s offered Curtis shares in the new company, many of Ruth’s colleagues invested in the new corporation, and Wells Fargo provided a $10,000 line of credit.
The Holden’s displayed their equipment at every state and national audiology and speech pathology convention. Within the first year, they had contracts with 18 companies in the U.S. They found an office building in Tiburon, hired an electronic technician and two production personnel.