George Owen Squier

George Owen Squier was a pioneering U.S. Army general and telecommunications engineer, born in 1859 in Michigan. He is best known for inventing a groundbreaking system of multiplexing that allowed multiple signals to be transmitted simultaneously over a single cable, laying the foundation for modern telecommunications. In 1922, he patented a method to transmit music through electrical wiring, leading to the creation of Muzak, a service that provided background music for various public and private spaces. Squier's innovations not only contributed to the evolution of radio and television but also shaped the way music is experienced in everyday environments, despite the mixed perceptions of Muzak as 'elevator music' in contemporary society.