Paying Respect: Jerry Lawson (1940-2011)

This week is devastating not only for video games but the entire electronics industry as a whole. Gerald A. Lawson (better known as Jerry) passed away on April 9th 2011, leaving behind a storied yet quiet legacy. Lawson is distinctively known as the inventor of ROM-based cartridges, a device first utilized by the game console, he helped develop called the Fairchild Channel F. Prior to this games were installed in the consoles themselves. Although by today’s standards it sounds simplistic, these days we all take the science behind cartridges for granted. During the 1970s it was a complex technological breakthrough paving the way for all future consoles and devices. Jerry Lawson was much more than an engineer, he was a pioneer. He worked on the earliest forms of computers before they were mass-marketed, worked in military electronics, started his own business in the form of Videosoft, produced his own game and witnessed the advent of arcade gaming but most notably he was an African-American engineer in a field where aforesaid minorities hold such a diminutive presence even today. Last month, Lawson was finally recognized at the International Games Developers Association (IGDA).

The Fairchild Channel F

Even though Jerry Lawson left us on the 9th of this month, I didn’t find out until 1-UP posted the news story. What started as curiosity turned into a revelation; I had no idea this man who revolutionized electronics was black and I was surprised to have never heard of him. For those who don’t know I myself am black and I know there are very few of us in the industry. The only black person in the industry I admired and connected to was Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime, mostly because he is Haitian, as am I. But Fils-Aime deals more with the business and marketing aspect of video games where Lawson actually innovated and helped shaped the way they are played. Another part of Lawson’s life hitting close to home; he was born in Jamaica, Queen and also attended Queens College. It’s a honor knowing this electronic engineering great grew up in my home borough and attended the very school I’m going to graduate from. Despite recently discovering his accomplishments, I can’t help having a sense of encouragement and pride. Jerry Lawson had humble beginnings but set his sights for incredible heights. I’m sure he was just pursuing a dream he enjoyed but in the process he inadvertently blazed the path for future generations to come.
The first cartridge. Pictures provided by Mathpirate.net

It’s very sad that his death brought him more notoriety but I can only hope more people will acknowledge Jerry Lawson and appreciate his accomplishments. I wish I had been exposed to his work much earlier in my life because it is truly inspirational to see his dreams fuel his determination and his success change an industry. If you want to know more about this man, go read his in-depth interview by Benj Edwards at Vintage Computer and Gaming, it’s one of the most detailed and insightful interviews I’ve read in a long time.

Jerry Lawson’s lifetime endeavors are not only to be viewed proudly by black people but everyone regardless of ethnicity or creed. Thanks for everything Jerry!