In 1949, at the age of 16, before he had yet earned his BS in electrical engineering at Stanford, Ray Dolby went to work at Ampex Corporation where he later helped develop videotape recording. After Stanford, Dolby was awarded a Marshall Scholarship and went on to study physics at Cambridge University, earning his PhD in 1961.

In 1965, Dolby founded Dolby Laboratories in London. The company's first product, Dolby A-type noise reduction, reduced the annoying hissing sound then common in audio recording. The technology quickly became a hit with the recording industry, and consumers came to equate the double-D logo with audio excellence during the subsequent decades. In the 1970s, the company branched out into cinema sound, where its technology greatly improved the quality of film soundtracks.

In 1976, Dolby Laboratories moved its world headquarters to San Francisco. Today, Ray Dolby holds more than 50 U.S. patents. Among his many professional accolades, Dolby has received both a Scientific and Engineering Award and an Oscar® from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, multiple Emmys® (including Lifetime Achievement awards) from both Academies of Television Arts and Sciences, and the Audio Engineering Society's Silver and Gold Medals. In 1997, Dolby received the U.S. National Medal of Technology. Dolby passed away in 2013.

BS 1957 Electrical Engineering