| Jerry Lawson | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 1, 1940 Brooklyn, New York |
| Died | April 9, 2011 (aged 70) Mountain View, California |
| Alma mater | Queens College |
| Occupation | Computer engineer |
| Children | 2 |
Gerald Anderson "Jerry" Lawson (December 1, 1940 – April 9, 2011)[1][2] was an American electronic engineer known for his work in designing the Fairchild Channel F video game console.[3]
During development of the Channel F in the early-mid 1970s, Lawson was Chief Hardware Engineer[4] and director of engineering and marketing for Fairchild Semiconductor's video game division.[5] He also founded and ran Videosoft, a video game development company which made software for the Atari 2600 in the early 1980s, as the 2600 had displaced the Channel F as the top system in the market.[3]
Lawson was the sole black member of the Homebrew Computer Club, a group of early computer hobbyists which would produce a number of industry legends, including Apple founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak.[5] Lawson also produced one of the earliest arcade games, Demolition Derby,[6] which debuted in a southern California pizzeria shortly after Pong. Lawson later worked with the Stanford mentor program and was preparing to write a book on his career.[5]
In March 2011, Lawson was honored as an industry pioneer by the International Game Developers Association.[7] One month later, he died of complications from diabetes.[8] At the time of his death, he resided in Santa Clara, California.