The industry has lost another dear audio friend and mentor — Dr. Eugene Patronis.
Dr. Patronis, one of the AV industry’s most well-known academics, served as a mentor and educator for a generation of audio professionals. He had a gift of teaching complex principles without losing the practical real-world use of them.
Don Davis, founder of SynAudCon and personal friend, has often described Dr. Patronis as being on the same intellectual level as Richard Heyser. Richard Heyser was addressing a TEF workshop, and he hesitated over an answer to a question. Dr. Patronis stepped up and said, “Let me see if I can help with that question.”
William Arthur Ward says “The good teacher explains, the superior teacher demonstrates and the great teacher inspires.” This describes Dr. Patronis well.
He began working at a local cinema at age 12. It was during the war when it was difficult to find help. To keep things in working order, he was forced to find solutions to problems. This was the beginning of his career.
Patronis attained a BS in Physics in 1953 and his PhD in Physics in 1961 at the Georgia Institute of Technology, starting his teaching career at age 19. From that time forward, he remained a fixture in the Physics Department at Georgia Tech — starting as an Assistant Professor, to Professor and ultimately to Professor Emeritus.
Many of his students have made huge contributions to our industry. He enabled and inspired his students. His students always spoke of him with such respect and gratitude.
Don Davis had this to say: “Carolyn and I both recognized him as a great teacher. Gene Patronis has often inspired me to examine new horizons. When inspired, the dogged persistence that can overcome lack of native brightness has a chance to prevail. Gene possesses that kind of intellectual leadership.”
Buildings, textbooks, lavish budgets never reached the Don Davis’ of the world. Men like Gene Patronis did.
Most of his contributions are intangible. It was a comment or an explanation that changed lives. Here are a few that I can list. Patronis was a major contributor to “The New Audio Cyclopedia 2nd Edition” and a co-author, along with Don Davis and Pat Brown, of “Sound System Engineering” revisions. He wrote many publications and taught at many SynAudCon and other industry events.
Here is his list of patents:
• An Integrated Circuit Frequency Modulation Detector, August 1, 1967
• Acoustic Feedback Detector and Automatic Gain Control, March 14, 1978
• Non-Intrusive General Purpose Film Cue Detector, April 2, 1990
• Cinema Sound System for Unperforated Screens, April 2, 1991
• Acoustic Cup Counter, April 9, 1991
• Audio System with Amplifier and Signal Device, April 28, 1992
• Motion Picture Exhibition Facility, June 30, 1992
He made a comment to me that stood out among the rest. “Brenda, please do not call me Dr. Patronis, call me Gene.” He is most known for his intellect, but to those around him, we saw him as a personal, caring and generous friend.
Dr. Patronis gave Pat a tour of his home audio system, which included two vintage multicellular horns. When Pat asked if the horns ringed excessively he pointed to two rubber snubbers that he had added and said, “Not these!”
Dr. Eugene Patronis enabled so many and his contributions are far reaching indeed. He will be greatly missed.
