Sidney Harman Dies At 92; Praised For Legacy of Innovation

Sidney Harman, 92, audio industry pioneer, Harman Kardon founder and former CEO of the Harman International empire, died Tuesday in Washington of complications from acute myeloid leukemia, according to a statement issued by his family. Harman, who was active in Newsweek operations until his death and was founder and chairman of the Academy for Polymathic Study at the University of Southern California, learned of his illness a month ago, the family said.

Harman, an entrepreneur and philanthropist, also served as undersecretary of commerce in the Carter Administration, and most recently was executive chairman of Newsweek Daily Beast. Harman’s “legacy of leading-edge innovation and premium quality will continue to live on” at Harman International, CEO Dinesh Paliwal said in a statement. He said Harman will be remembered for “his great charm, his curiosity, his philanthropic and public service interests, his genuine kindness to employees and customers alike."

Gary Shapiro, CEA president, said in a statement, “Sidney was a true industry leader who revolutionized the music industry.” Harman was one of the first inductees into the CE Hall of Fame 11 years ago. “We have lost a good friend and mentor,” Shapiro said.

Harman, who was born in Montreal on Aug. 4, 1918, worked as an engineer for David Bogen Co., a New York-based speaker manufacturer, and after a 1944-45 stint in the Army, returned to Bogen where he was named general manager in the early 1950s. Harman and Bogen chief engineer Bernard Kardon left the company in 1953 and invested $5,000 each to start Harman Kardon, which produced the Festival D 1000, the first hi-fi receiver to integrate a tuner and amplifier, according to the Harman Kardon website. Harman delivered the first stereo receiver, the TA230, in 1958 and followed with the first ultrawide-bandwidth tube amplifier, the Citation II, in 1959.

Harman sold Harman Kardon in 1977 to avoid conflicts of interest during his term as undersecretary of commerce and bought the company back a few years later at a profit, according to the Times account. He renamed the company Harman International Industries and took it public in 1986, serving as CEO until 2007 and retiring as chairman in 2008, remaining chairman emeritus of Harman International until his death. The company reported sales of $3.3 billion for fiscal 2010.

In a testimonial in Harman’s 2003 book, Mind Your Own Business: A Maverick’s Guide to Business, Leadership and Life, the late journalist Daniel Schorr wrote, “Sidney Harman is that rare phenomenon in American life -- the titan of industry who is also a titan of humanity.” The Los Angeles Times quoted Harman crediting his company’s success to three things: “All the products were built in factories it owned, the products were marketed globally, and the company treated its workforce with respect."

Harman’s funeral will be private, the family’s statement said. Memorials will be held in Los Angeles and Washington at dates to be determined, the family said. Survivors include Harman’s wife, former California congresswoman Jane Harman, and children Barbara, Gina, Daniel and Justine. Gina Harman was president of Harman International’s Consumer division from 2001-2008.