H.H. Scott, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Hermon Hosmer Scott founded H.H. Scott in 1947. The prefix H.H. was to differentiate his fledgling company from E. H. Scott, The Scott Radio Company of Chicago. Although H.H. is different than E.H., it is similar enough to make one wonder if perhaps Scott, always the shrewd businessman, hoped that some of E.H. Scotts’ reputation for quality might, by association, rub off onto his new company.
Mr. Scott invented the RC Oscillator, the selectively tuned RC circuit, various RC filters and the modern sweep circuit. He is perhaps best known for inventing the Dynaural Noise Suppressor, and held more than 100 patents (U.S. and foreign) for original research in the field of electronics. Early in his career, Mr. Scott worked on sound motion pictures and high-quality broadcast systems from 1929 to 1931 at Bell Telephone Laboratories, in New York, NY.
The company remained independent until 1973, when it was acquired by Electro Audio Dynamics of Europe. US operations were later relocated to Woburn, MA, offices. In 1985, the famous hi-fi brand was purchased and today operates as a division of Emerson Electronics. Hermon Hosmer Scott, died April 13,1975, in Lincoln, Massachusetts, after a long illness at the age of 66.
H.H. Scott: the short history
A few corrections and additions to the original page. Wikipedia places the founding in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1947, with a move to nearby Maynard in 1957. It also tells a slightly different story about the 1970s: production stopped in October 1972 for lack of capital, and in January 1973 the company was bought by SYMA International of Brussels, its European licensee, which restarted production in Maynard in February 1973. Operations moved to Woburn between late 1975 and late 1976, and Emerson bought the brand in 1985.
On the Dynaural noise suppressor, which the original page credits to Scott himself: Wikipedia's article on the company mentions the name only in connection with E. H. Scott, the unrelated Chicago radio maker, which it says licensed Scott's Dynamic Noise Reduction circuit under the name Dynaural. The original page and Wikipedia agree that the H.H. prefix distinguished the two companies.
| Founded | 1947, Cambridge, Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Founder | Hermon Hosmer Scott |
| Moved | Maynard, Massachusetts, 1957 |
| First US FM stereo multiplex tuner | Model 350, 1961 (per Wikipedia) |
| Production halted | October 1972 |
| Brand sold | Emerson, 1985 |
Questions collectors ask
Is H.H. Scott the same company as E.H. Scott?
No. E. H. Scott was a separate Chicago radio maker. The original page suggests Hermon Hosmer Scott chose the H.H. prefix partly to distinguish his company from it.
Did H.H. Scott sell kits?
Yes. Wikipedia mentions kit versions of some products, including the 1964 LK-72B, an 80-watt stereo tube integrated amplifier.
Sources: Wikipedia: H. H. Scott, Inc..
