Hutchison, born in Montrose, Alabama, spent most of his life in the Yellowhammer state. He attended the Marion Military Institute, Spring Hill College, and graduated from the Alabama Polytechnic Institute in 1897. In addition to the hearing aid, Hutchison held a patent for a lightning arrester and telegraph lines.

The hearing aid was originally invented to help one of Hutchison’s friends who became deaf from scarlet fever. He tried to market his new device, but the large tabletop model was neither practical nor cost-effective. Modifications and improvements to his original model made it increasingly popular, and he eventually sold the rights to Kelley Monroe Turner.

Today, 48 million Americans report some degree of hearing loss. The statistic is higher for Americans over age 65, where one in three struggle with hearing loss. Currently, production of hearing aids only meets 10 percent of all global need.

Source: Jordan Laporta
Image credit: Yellow Hammer News