Sidney Harman
Encyclopedia
Sidney Harman was an American businessman active in education, government, industry, and publishing. He was the Chairman Emeritus of Harman International Industries
, Inc. Harman served as the U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce
in 1977 and 1978. As of August 2010 Harman was also the publisher of Newsweek
.
Harman was married to Jane Harman
(b. 1945), a former Democratic member of Congress from California who represented California's 36th congressional district
which included the Redondo Beach
and Manhattan Beach
areas of Southern California.
company in New York while he was growing up. After graduating with a physics degree Sidney's first job was at a loudspeaker
company as an engineer
. His boss was Bernard Kardon and roughly thirteen years later each invested $5000 to make the Festival D1000 - the world's first integrated hi-fi receiver. Harman and Kardon founded harman/kardon, Inc.
, in 1953. He was known for the quality of working life
programs that he initiated at the company’s plants, especially for the program at Bolivar, Tennessee
, which had some short-lived success and has become a model for such activities in American industry and a principal case study at business schools in the United States
and abroad. Harman had written on productivity, quality of working life and economic policy, and was co-author, with Daniel Yankelovich
, of Starting With the People, published by Houghton Mifflin
in 1988.
, 1973), a graduate of Baruch College
of the City University of New York
in 1939, served as a trustee of the Martin Luther King Center for Social Change, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and the National Symphony Orchestra. He was chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of the Public Agenda Foundation; chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Business Executives for National Security
; a member of the Council on Foreign Relations
and the Council on Competitiveness
; and a member of the Board of the Leadership Institute of the University of Southern California
.
He served for three years as president of Friends World College, a worldwide, experimental Quaker College, and was the founder and an active member of the Program on Technology, Public Policy, and Human Development at the John F. Kennedy School of Government
at Harvard University
. Harman was chairman of the Program Committee of the Board of the Aspen Institute
for Humanistic Studies and a member of the Board of the Carter Center
of Emory University
.
He was a philanthropist and a member of Washington, D.C.
’s Shakespeare Theatre Company
Board of Trustees. The Company’s new Harman Center for the Arts
is named for his family with a performance space, Sidney Harman Hall
, named for him. He also endowed the Baruch College
Harman Writer-In-Residence visiting Professorship.
The University of Southern California
Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies named Harman the "Entrepreneur of the Year 2007."
magazine from the Washington Post Company
. He paid $1 and accepted the assumption of $47 million in liabilities.
Harman died on April 12, 2011, in Washington D.C. at the age of 92 of complications from acute myeloid leukemia
.
Harman International Industries
Harman International Industries is an American-based international audio and infotainment equipment company. The company designs, manufactures and markets audio and infotainment products for the car, the home, theatres and venues, as well as electronics for audio professionals...
, Inc. Harman served as the U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce
United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce
The Deputy Secretary of Commerce is a high ranking position within the United States Department of Commerce. It was createdon December 13, 1979 when President Jimmy Carter sent a letter to the U.S. Senate and nominated Luther H. Hodges, Jr., who then currently held the title of Under Secretary of...
in 1977 and 1978. As of August 2010 Harman was also the publisher of Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
.
Harman was married to Jane Harman
Jane Harman
Jane Margaret Lakes Harman is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1993 to 1999, and from 2001 to 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party....
(b. 1945), a former Democratic member of Congress from California who represented California's 36th congressional district
California's 36th congressional district
California's 36th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California based in Los Angeles County. The district covers most of the coastal communities of Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Torrance, El Segundo, Venice, Wilmington, and San Pedro in Greater Los Angeles.The...
which included the Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach may refer to:*Redondo Beach, California, USA*Redondo Beach, Washington, USA, a small board-walk beach in Des Moines, Washington*Redondo Beach , by Patti Smith and covered by Morrissey*Redonda Beach, a similarly named place in Portugal...
and Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach, California
Manhattan Beach is the wealthiest beachfront city located in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, USA. The city is on the Pacific coast, south of El Segundo, and north of Hermosa Beach. Manhattan Beach is the home of both beach and indoor volleyball, and surfing. During the winter, the...
areas of Southern California.
Business career
Harman's father worked at a hearing aidHearing aid
A hearing aid is an electroacoustic device which typically fits in or behind the wearer's ear, and is designed to amplify and modulate sound for the wearer. Earlier devices, known as "ear trumpets" or "ear horns", were passive funnel-like amplification cones designed to gather sound energy and...
company in New York while he was growing up. After graduating with a physics degree Sidney's first job was at a loudspeaker
Loudspeaker
A loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer that produces sound in response to an electrical audio signal input. Non-electrical loudspeakers were developed as accessories to telephone systems, but electronic amplification by vacuum tube made loudspeakers more generally useful...
company as an engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
. His boss was Bernard Kardon and roughly thirteen years later each invested $5000 to make the Festival D1000 - the world's first integrated hi-fi receiver. Harman and Kardon founded harman/kardon, Inc.
Harman Kardon
harman/kardon is a division of Harman International Industries and manufactures home and car audio equipment.Founded in 1953 by Dr. Sidney Harman and Bernard Kardon — two men with a deep interest in music and the arts — the company helped create the high-fidelity audio industry. Their first product...
, in 1953. He was known for the quality of working life
Quality of working life
"Quality of Working Life" is a term that had been used to describe the broader job-related experience an individual has.-Quality of Working Life and related concepts: job satisfaction, workplace stress and quality of life:...
programs that he initiated at the company’s plants, especially for the program at Bolivar, Tennessee
Bolivar, Tennessee
Bolivar is a city in Hardeman County, Tennessee, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,802. It is the county seat of Hardeman County. The town was named for South American revolutionary leader Simón Bolívar, but is pronounced to rhyme with the name Oliver. Bolivar...
, which had some short-lived success and has become a model for such activities in American industry and a principal case study at business schools in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and abroad. Harman had written on productivity, quality of working life and economic policy, and was co-author, with Daniel Yankelovich
Daniel Yankelovich
Daniel Yankelovich is a public opinion analyst and social scientist.-Education:After attending Boston Latin School, Yankelovich graduated from Harvard University in 1946 and 1950 before completing postgraduate studies at the Sorbonne in France. As a psychology professor he has taught at New York...
, of Starting With the People, published by Houghton Mifflin
Houghton Mifflin
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is an educational and trade publisher in the United States. Headquartered in Boston's Back Bay, it publishes textbooks, instructional technology materials, assessments, reference works, and fiction and non-fiction for both young readers and adults.-History:The company was...
in 1988.
Education and philanthropy
Harman (Ph.D. in Higher Education, Union Institute & UniversityUnion Institute & University
Union Institute & University is a non-profit private college, specializing in limited residence and distance learning programs. With the main campus in Cincinnati, Union Institute & University operates -from Ohio- "satellite campuses" located in Montpelier, Vermont; Brattleboro, Vermont; North...
, 1973), a graduate of Baruch College
Baruch College
Bernard M. Baruch College, more commonly known as Baruch College, is a constituent college of the City University of New York, located in the Flatiron district of Manhattan, New York City. With an acceptance rate of just 23%, Baruch is among the most competitive and diverse colleges in the nation...
of the City University of New York
City University of New York
The City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
in 1939, served as a trustee of the Martin Luther King Center for Social Change, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and the National Symphony Orchestra. He was chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of the Public Agenda Foundation; chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Business Executives for National Security
Business Executives for National Security
Business Executives for National Security is an American 501 non-profit organization. It was founded in 1982 by former mining executive Stanley A...
; a member of the Council on Foreign Relations
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
and the Council on Competitiveness
Council on Competitiveness
The Council on Competitiveness is an American non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. The Council’s goal is to increase the United States' economic competitiveness in the global marketplace...
; and a member of the Board of the Leadership Institute of the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
.
He served for three years as president of Friends World College, a worldwide, experimental Quaker College, and was the founder and an active member of the Program on Technology, Public Policy, and Human Development at the John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. Harman was chairman of the Program Committee of the Board of the Aspen Institute
Aspen Institute
The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1950 as the Aspen Institute of Humanistic Studies. The organization is dedicated to "fostering enlightened leadership, the appreciation of timeless ideas and values, and open-minded dialogue on contemporary issues." The...
for Humanistic Studies and a member of the Board of the Carter Center
Carter Center
The Carter Center is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter. In partnership with Emory University, The Carter Center works to advance human rights and alleviate human suffering...
of Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
.
He was a philanthropist and a member of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
’s Shakespeare Theatre Company
Shakespeare Theatre Company
The Shakespeare Theatre Company is a regional theatre company located in Washington, D.C. Their self professed mission "is to present classic theatre of scope and size in an imaginative, skillful and accessible American style that honors the playwrights’ language and intentions while viewing their...
Board of Trustees. The Company’s new Harman Center for the Arts
Harman Center for the Arts
The Harman Center for the Arts is a complex consisting ofthe Lansburgh Theatre at 450 7th Street NW in Washington, D.C. and Sidney Harman Hall at Sixth and F Streets NW. Harman Hall is the latest addition to the existing Lansburgh Theatre to create the new "Center For the Arts". Construction began...
is named for his family with a performance space, Sidney Harman Hall
Sidney Harman Hall
Sidney Harman Hall is a theater located at Sixth and F Streets NW in Washington, D.C. It opened officially on October 1, 2007.Along with the existing Lansburgh Theatre, it comprises the new Harman Center for the Arts, the home of the Shakespeare Theatre Company...
, named for him. He also endowed the Baruch College
Baruch College
Bernard M. Baruch College, more commonly known as Baruch College, is a constituent college of the City University of New York, located in the Flatiron district of Manhattan, New York City. With an acceptance rate of just 23%, Baruch is among the most competitive and diverse colleges in the nation...
Harman Writer-In-Residence visiting Professorship.
The University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies named Harman the "Entrepreneur of the Year 2007."
Newsweek
In August 2010, Harman bought NewsweekNewsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
magazine from the Washington Post Company
Washington Post Company
The Washington Post Company is an American education and media company, best known for owning the newspaper for which it is named, The Washington Post. The Company also owns Kaplan, Inc., a leading international provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses...
. He paid $1 and accepted the assumption of $47 million in liabilities.
Later years and death
Harman displayed a remarkable amount of energy into his 80s, staying active by playing golf and engaging in various other hobbies. He remained involved in the day-to-day management of Harman-Kardon until formally retiring on his 88th birthday in August 2006 and after turning 90 in 2008 remarked "I don't feel much different than I did at 70. Maybe a little bit, but nothing has significantly diminished."Harman died on April 12, 2011, in Washington D.C. at the age of 92 of complications from acute myeloid leukemia
Acute myeloid leukemia
Acute myeloid leukemia , also known as acute myelogenous leukemia, is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells, characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal white blood cells that accumulate in the bone marrow and interfere with the production of normal blood cells. AML is the most common acute...
.
External links
- History of Harman International Industries Inc.
- Leslie Milk and Ellen Ryan. "Washingtonians of the Year 2007: Sidney Harman", Washingtonian, January 1, 2008.
- USC Website
- 2008 USA Today article about the effectiveness of old and young CEOs
- Jonathan AlterJonathan AlterJonathan Alter is an American journalist and author who was a columnist and senior editor for Newsweek magazine from 1983 until 2011. He is currently a lead columnist for Bloomberg View, a new commentary website. He is also a contributing correspondent to NBC News, where since 1996 he has appeared...
. "Sidney Harman: An Extraordinary Life". The Daily BeastThe Daily BeastThe Daily Beast is an American news reporting and opinion website founded and published by Tina Brown, former editor of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker as well as the short-lived Talk Magazine. The Daily Beast was launched on October 6, 2008, and is owned by IAC...
, April 13, 2011.