Up until the mid-20th century, microphones were most commonly used in recording studios, as they were bulky, expensive, and required a great deal of power to operate. In the late 1950s, however, two scientists—James West and Gerhard Sessler—began experimenting with electrets, small devices capable of holding an electrical charge. By the early 1960s, Sessler and West had invented a smaller microphone that used less power and was inexpensive to manufacture, catapulting their creation into widespread use.
James West
West was born on Feb. 10, 1931, at his family’s home in Prince Edward County, Virginia. From a young age, he was fascinated by how things worked, often taking apart items like his grandfather’s watch and putting them back together.That curiosity deepened when he was 8 years old and found a broken radio someone had thrown away. Believing he had diagnosed the problem, he attempted to plug it into an outlet connected to a ceiling light socket while standing on the brass footboard of his bed. His hand became stuck to the socket as 120 volts shot through his body. He remained frozen until his brother knocked him free.
