William H. Thomas; Innovator in Aviation, Audio Engineering

William H. Thomas, 82, a businessman who made innovations in aviation and audio engineering. A native of Los Angeles, Thomas studied physics at UCLA and worked on the construction of the Hoover Dam in Nevada and the Griffith Planetarium in Los Angeles. At the beginning of World War II, he studied helicopter aerodynamics at USC and in 1943 founded the company Roteron to design and build a prototype helicopter. After that company failed in 1945, he became general manager of Marquardt Aircraft to build a helicopter with jet engines at the ends of rotor blades. The company was taken over in 1949 by General Tire and Rubber. Thomas was asked to help audio innovator James B. Lansing create James B. Lansing Sound Inc. to manufacture loudspeakers. Lansing died within a year, and Thomas took over, building the company’s international reputation for high fidelity and stereo sound systems. Thomas was named Los Angeles’ businessman of the year by former Mayor Sam Yorty and was once designated “Man of Sound and Silence” in his industry. Retiring to grow oranges and avocados, Thomas served on the board of directors of the Ojai Music Festival. On Feb. 28 in Ojai.