James B. Lansing
| James Bullough Lansing | |
|---|---|
| Born |
James Martini January 14, 1902 Greenridge, Nilwood Township, Macoupin County, Illinois |
| Died | September 24, 1949 (aged 47) San Marcos, California |
| Cause of death | Suicide |
| Occupation | Engineer, inventor, designer |
| Employer | Lansing Manufacturing Company, Altec Lansing, JBL |
James Bullough Lansing (born James Martini, January 14, 1902 – September 24, 1949) was a pioneering American audio engineer and loudspeaker designer who was most notable for establishing two audio companies that bear his name, Altec Lansing and JBL, the latter taken from his initials.
James Martini was born on January 14, 1902, in Greenridge, Nilwood Township, Macoupin County, Illinois to parents Henry Martini of St. Louis, Missouri, and Grace Erbs Martini of Central City, Illinois. His father was a coal mining engineer which meant the family moved around considerably in James' early years. He was the ninth of fourteen children. He lived for a short time with the Bullough family in Springfield, Illinois, and later took their name.
Lansing graduated eighth grade at Lawrence School in Springfield, Illinois, attended Springfield High School and also took courses at a small business college in Springfield.
At a young age he built a Leyden jar to play pranks on his friends. He also built crystal sets and a radio transmitter which was apparently powerful enough for the signal to reach Great Lakes Naval Station in Illinois. Lansing's transmitter was then dismantled when the Navy tracked the source down.
Lansing had worked as an automotive mechanic and attended an automotive school in Detroit courtesy of the dealer he worked for.
His mother died on November 1, 1924, when he was 21, he then left home and met his future wife, Glenna Peterson, in Salt Lake City in 1925. At the time he was working for a radio station as an engineer. He also worked for the Baldwin loudspeaker company and met his future business partner, Ken Decker in the city.
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