Jerry Lawson (engineer)
| 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 along with Ron Jones were the sole black members 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.
Footnotes
- ↑ Cifaldi, Frank. "Video Game Pioneer Jerry Lawson Dies". 1up.
- ↑
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Fairchild Channel F - The First ROM Cartridge Console". About.com.
- ↑ CG Expo 99 Panel announcement
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Interview: Jerry Lawson, Black Video Game Pioneer". Vintage Computing and Gaming, Feb. 24, 2009.
- ↑ Demolition Derby at the Killer List of Videogames.
- ↑ Cassidy, Mike. (2011, March 3). "Gaming industry finally recognizes the work of a pioneer", San Jose Mercury News
- ↑ Weber, Bruce (April 13, 2011). "Gerald A. Lawson, Video Game Pioneer, Dies at 70". The New York Times.
References
- 2006 Vintage Computing Festival interview video
- Jerry Lawson Biography
- "Computer Gaming '99 Expo Panel Announcement". Retrieved 2009-03-11.
- Edwards, Benj. "VC&G Interview: Jerry Lawson, Black Video Game Pioneer". Retrieved 2009-03-11.