Born in Elkhart, Indiana in 1904, Mr. Klipsch became enamored with audio as a boy after his mother moved the family phonograph into a corner and noted the improvement in sound quality. After receiving his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from New Mexico State University, Mr. Klipsch worked for General Electric designing radios, and later he maintained electric locomotives in Chile for the company. After leaving Stanford with a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, he worked in Texas as a geophysicist for an oil company.

Stationed at the Army’s Hope Proving Grounds during World War II, Klipsch worked to refine the design of his folded corner woofer, the prototype of the "Klipschorn." After the war, he settled in Hope, where he bought a building at the old proving grounds and manufactured his first Klipschorn. The building is now the Klipsch Museum of Audio History, with the manufacturing plant nearby. The company has headquarters in Indianapolis. Later, infamous iterations of Klipsch’s genius bore the names LaScalla, Belle, Cornwall and Heresy.

Herndon Funeral Home of Hope is handling funeral services. The service will be at 10:00 am on Friday May 10, 2002. Interment will follow at the Rose Hill Cemetery. Mrs. Valerie Klipsch requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Paul Klipsch Scholarship Fund at New Mexico State University.

For further information about the life and contributions of Paul W. Klipsch to the audio industry and society in general visit: www.klipsch.com