Jerry Lawson (engineer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jerry Lawson
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Lawson, 1982
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| Born | December 1, 1940 Brooklyn, New York, U.S
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| Died | April 9, 2011 (aged 70) Santa Clara, California, U.S.
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| Education | Queens College |
| Occupation | Electronic engineer |
| Spouse(s) |
Catherine
(m. 1965) |
| Children | 2 |
Gerald Anderson Lawson (December 1, 1940 – April 9, 2011) was a smart American electronic engineer. He is famous for his important work on the Fairchild Channel F video game console. He also led the team that created the first commercial video game cartridge. This invention changed gaming forever! Because of his work, he was called the "father of the video game cartridge." He later started his own game company called Video-Soft.
Contents
Early Life and Big Dreams
Gerald Lawson was born in Brooklyn, New York City, on December 1, 1940. His dad, Blanton, was a longshoreman who loved science. His mom, Mannings, worked for the city and helped with the local school's parent group. His grandfather had studied to be a physicist. Gerald's parents made sure he got a good education. They also encouraged his interest in science. He enjoyed hobbies like ham radio and chemistry.
Lawson remembered his first-grade teacher. She encouraged him to become someone important, like George Washington Carver. As a teenager, he lived in Queens. He earned money by fixing television sets. When he was 13, he got an amateur radio license. He built his own radio station at home. He bought parts from local electronic stores. He went to Queens College and City College of New York. However, he did not finish a degree at either school.
A Career in Gaming
In 1970, Gerald Lawson joined Fairchild Semiconductor. This company was in San Francisco. He worked as an engineering consultant. While there, he built an early arcade game in his garage. It was called Demolition Derby. He finished it in 1975. It was one of the first games to use a special computer chip called a microprocessor.
Creating the Game Cartridge
In the mid-1970s, Lawson became a top engineer at Fairchild. He led the team that created the Fairchild Channel F console. This console came out in 1976. It was special because it used game cartridges that you could swap. Before this, most game systems had games built right into them. You could not remove or change them.
Lawson and his team made this new technology even better. They allowed games to be saved on removable ROM cartridges. You could put these cartridges into the console. You could also take them out many times. This was safe and easy. This meant people could buy many games. It also created a new way for companies to make money by selling games.
The Channel F console had new controls. It included an 8-way joystick that Lawson designed. It also had a "pause" button. This was the first time a home video game console had a pause button! The Channel F console was not a huge success. However, its cartridge idea became very popular. The Atari 2600 console, released in 1977, used this same idea.
Meeting Other Innovators
While at Fairchild, Lawson was part of the Homebrew Computer Club. This was a group of early computer fans. Famous people like Apple founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were also in this group. Lawson once interviewed Wozniak for a job at Fairchild. But he did not hire him.
Starting His Own Company
In 1980, Lawson left Fairchild. He started his own video game company called Videosoft. His company made games for the Atari 2600. The Atari 2600 had become the most popular system. Videosoft closed after about five years. After that, Lawson worked as a consultant. He even worked with famous musician Stevie Wonder. They tried to make a "Wonder Clock." This clock would wake a child with the sound of a parent's voice. But it was never produced. Later, Lawson worked with a mentor program. He also planned to write a book about his career.
Later Life and Passing
Around 2003, Lawson began to have health problems from diabetes. He lost the use of one leg and sight in one eye. On April 9, 2011, he passed away from complications related to diabetes. This was about a month after he was honored by the International Game Developers Association. He lived in Santa Clara, California. He was survived by his wife, Catherine, his two children, and his brother.
Lasting Legacy
Gerald Lawson's work had a huge impact on the gaming world.
- In March 2011, the International Game Developers Association honored him. They recognized him as a pioneer for his game cartridge idea.
- He also received the ID@Xbox Gaming Heroes award in 2019. This was for leading the creation of the first cartridge-based game console.
- You can see a display about Lawson's work at the World Video Game Hall of Fame. It is located at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York.
- A school in Los Angeles was named after him: Gerald A. Lawson Academy of the Arts, Mathematics and Science.
- He was featured in a short documentary. It was part of the Profiles of African-American Success video series.
- He also appeared in the Netflix documentary series High Score in 2020. His children, Karen and Anderson, shared his story.
- An episode of the podcast Command Line Heroes was about him. It was titled "Jerry Lawson: The Engineer Who Changed the Game."
- He was also featured in the TV show The Toys That Built America on the History channel.
Supporting Future Engineers
The University of Southern California's Games Program and Take Two Interactive created the Gerald A. Lawson Fund in May 2021. This fund helps Black and Indigenous students. It supports those who want careers in the video game industry. Microsoft also started contributing to this fund in August 2021.
Google Honors Lawson
On December 1, 2022, Google Doodle honored Lawson. This was to celebrate what would have been his 82nd birthday. The special Google Doodle allowed users to make games, edit existing games, and share them.
See also
In Spanish: Jerry Lawson para niños
