In Memoriam: Jerry Northern, PhD

Dr. Jerry Northern made incomparable contributions to his profession and to the American Academy of Audiology throughout his career. His recent passing is a loss that will be felt by the audiology community for years to come.

Dr. Northern was a founding member of the American Academy of Audiology and served as its third President, guiding Academy priorities and growth in its early years. He worked as the Editor/Publisher of Audiology Today for 15 years and sponsored the Jerry Northern Scholarship in Pediatric Audiology, signifying his deep commitment to helping children with hearing loss.

In his native Colorado, where he was raised by his deaf grandparents and grew up with American Sign Language as a second language, he was a Professor Emeritus at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, retiring after 26 years as Professor of Otolaryngology and Director of Audiology Clinical Services. He also served as President of the Colorado Hearing Foundation, and on the Board of Directors of the Marion Downs Center. Dr. Northern’s career also included work with HearUSA and Starkey Hearing Laboratories.

He received a BA in Experimental Psychology from Colorado College, Master’s Degrees from Gallaudet University and the University of Denver, and his PhD in Audiology from the University of Colorado (Boulder).

Early in his career, Dr. Northern served in the US Army Medical Services Corps in 1968 and later continued in civilian status as the Assistant Director of the US Army Audiology and Speech Pathology Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

His commitment to the advancement of audiology throughout his career was evident in the time he gave to audiology associations, organizing the Military Audiology Society in 1969, his time as Past-President of the Colorado Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and his long-term commitment to the American Academy of Audiology. Dr. Northern’s commitment to his profession crossed over into his personal love of travel, and he consulted on audiology practice issues on nearly every continent.

Dr. Northern was a prolific author who wrote, edited, and co-authored numerous textbooks widely used throughout audiology programs, including Hearing in Children (6th Edition, 2014), Hearing Disorders (3rd Edition, 1996), Probe Microphone Measurements: Hearing Aid Selection and Assessment (1992), and Infants and Hearing (1996).

Dr. Northern’s professional recognition from audiology organizations throughout his career was extensive and includes:

• The Outstanding Career Achievement Award from Colorado College
• The Outstanding Clinical Achievement in Human Communication Sciences & Disorders for Colorado from ASHA
• A Service Recognition Award from the American Medical Association for his work in South Vietnam
• Two Distinguished Service Awards and a Presidential Citation from the American Academy of Audiology
• The Honors Career in Hearing Award from the American Academy of Audiology
• The Lifetime Achievement Award from the Colorado Academy of Audiology
• The Legacy Award from the Marion Downs Center

As deeply as his loss will be felt by his colleagues and professional community, Dr. Northern’s loss is certain to be felt most deeply by his family and friends. The Academy is grateful for Dr. Northern’s contributions to the field of audiology, especially in establishing pediatric testing and management, and hopes his incredible legacy will be a comfort to all who knew him.