C. Harry Knowles was born in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1928. He earned degrees in physics from Auburn University and Vanderbilt. Over the course of his career, he worked with Bell Labs, Motorola, and Westinghouse before founding Metrologic Instruments in 1968. Metrologic became an industry leader in laser and bar code scanning technology. Named on 400 U.S. patents, Knowles counted several major firsts among his inventions, including the first programmable bar code scanner, the first handheld laser scanner, and the first mini-slot scanner. Metrologic devices are used in supermarkets, retail stores, libraries and airports, and can be found in more than 100 different countries. Knowles continued as a driving force behind the development of new technologies at Metrologic until his retirement in 2006. (Source: Auburn University College of Science and Mathematics Web Site)