Howard H. Gerrish (December 10, 1910 – June 12, 1988) was a writer and teacher whose influence extended widely through the technology and electronics community of the early 1960s-80s. He authored and co-authored numerous books that taught, and continue to teach, electronics. He taught for twenty-four years at three California State Colleges/Universities: Chico, San Jose and

Humboldt Humboldt may refer to: People * Alexander von Humboldt, German natural scientist, brother of Wilhelm von Humboldt * Wilhelm von Humboldt, German linguist, philosopher, and diplomat, brother of Alexander von Humboldt Fictional characters * Hu ...

. He was born in

Lisbon, Maine Lisbon is a New England town, town in Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,711 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is included in both the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan statistical area and the Lewis ...

Written works include

* 1961 Electricity—A Build-a-Course unit as well as 1961 Electronics—A Build-a-Course. Written while an assistant professor,

Industrial Arts Industrial arts is an educational program that features the fabrication of objects in wood or metal using a variety of hand, power, or machine tools. Industrial Arts are commonly referred to as Technology Education. It may include small engine ...

, Chico State College * Electricity and Electronics, 1964. Written when an associate professor at San Jose State College—in the acknowledgments he notes faculty and support from his years at Chico State * "Modern general shop; four complete general shop books combined in one volume," with others, 1964: Brown, Walter Charles, Drafting, Wagner, Willis H.

Woodworking Woodworking is the skill of making items from wood, and includes cabinetry, furniture making, wood carving, joinery, carpentry, and woodturning. History Along with stone, clay and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked b ...

, Boyd, T. Gardner.

Metalworking Metalworking is the process of shaping and reshaping metals in order to create useful objects, parts, assemblies, and large scale structures. As a term, it covers a wide and diverse range of processes, skills, and tools for producing objects on e ...

, Gerrish, Howard H. Electricity. Goodheart - Willcox, 1965

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...

* "Learning experiences in transistors and semiconductors; teaches modern concepts" Publisher: Farmingdale, N.J. : Buck Engineering Co., 1968 * Gerrish's Technical Dictionary, 1968

Career

Gerrish served as a captain in the US Army during World War II — Arrivals noted in the Field Artillery Journal, May 1945, include 1st Lt. Howard H. Gerrish, Department of Air Training. He graduated from the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

in 1946 and earned his Master's from Wayne State in 1953. He started teaching at San Jose State in 1961 in Industrial Arts at SJSU. He worked at Humboldt State, 1969–1972, where they named a lab for him, the Gerrish Electronics Laboratory, Jenkins Hall. He retired in 1972. In addition, he was an avid organ player, starting by playing the background music in silent movie theaters. He built and operated his own "

Ham Radio Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emergency communi ...

" station. Upon retirement, he and his wife, Virtue, lived in

Sedona, Arizona Sedona ( ) is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino County, Arizona, Coconino and Yavapai County, Arizona, Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 United States Census, ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gerrish, Howard American technology writers 1910 births 1988 deaths People from Lisbon, Maine California State University, Chico faculty San Jose State University faculty California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt faculty Writers from Maine University of Michigan alumni 20th-century American non-fiction writers