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ing that quieter products sell better. At very little increased cost dwellings can be made quieter. As a further example, airplane engines are enormously quieter today as a result of substantial government and industry support.
Noise control has been an important part of my acoustics activities. I have published six books either alone or with co- authors on the subject of noise and vibration control. Two of my largest and most important projects were the quieting of an enormously noisy NASA supersonic-jet engine during tests, which resulted in my designing the world’s largest muf- fler which was built at the facility.
The other project was working with the owner and operator of the airports around New York City, namely the Port of New York Authority. They asked my company, Bolt Beranek and Newman, to determine the maximum noise levels that jet-propelled passenger aircraft should be permitted to ra- diate when passing over neighborhoods surrounding their airports. I supervised this project and the result was that the first jet passenger airplanes were required to put mufflers on their engines and later planes had to be equipped with high- by-pass engines.
My efforts in recent years have been devoted to concert hall acoustics. In my 1962 book Music, Acoustics, and Architec- ture I published photographs and architectural drawings of 54 concert halls in 16 countries. Measurements of the acous- tical properties of these halls were assembled from the files of my company and from leading acoustical consultants. That book was followed by a second book in 1996, Concert and Opera Halls, How They Sound, that covered 76 halls and which was published by the Acoustical Society of America. The most recent book, in 2004, is titled, Concert Halls and Opera Houses: Music, Acoustics, and Architecture. It covers 100 halls and houses. Through the years I have interviewed over 30 conductors and 20 music critics and from their state- ments I have rank-ordered 58 halls according to those per- son’s perception of acoustical quality. No one has openly criticized these rankings. Since then, I have published pa- pers, largely in JASA, on concert hall acoustics as new find- ings have evolved.
In conclusion, I am grateful to the Acoustical Society of America for their publications which have enabled me to ex- change my findings with the research of others in the field. I enjoy the Society’s biannual meetings where one becomes acquainted with colleagues and learns about their recent activities. I especially look forward to attending the ASA meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, in 2017.
Photographs courtesy of the Acoustical Society of America
Top left. Dr. Leo Beranek addresses the audience at the Plenary Session on October 30, 2014 at the 168th Meeting of the ASA in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Top right. Fall Acoustics Today guest editors Carl Rosenberg (left) and William Cavanaugh (right) pose with Dr. Beranek at the reception.
Center left. Acoustics Today Editor Arthur Popper presents Dr. Be- ranek with a framed cover of the fall issue dedicated to Dr. Beranek and his lifetime achievements, contributions to the ASA, and in celebration of his 100th birthday.
Center right. Dr. Leo and Gabriella Beranek.
Bottom. Michael Taroudakis, President of the European Acoustics Association, and ASA President Judy Dubno present Dr. Beranek with certificates from the EAA and ASA honoring him on his 100th birthday.
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