Interred December 08, 1961
Spouse:
Martha Robertson (1885-1975)
Children:
Helen Louise Benway(1909-1982)
Dorothy Isabel Benway (1913-2005)
Married: Elvin Russell Haworth(1910-1989)
On the birth certificate of his first daughter Helen Louise, he listed his occupation as "Minister of the Gospel". He was a Baptist minister.
William Graham Green Benway was an inventor. He held patents for several of his inventions; patent number 2,128,555 August 30, 1938 for a vibrating device, patent number 2,056,383 October 6, 1936 for an advertising display sign and probably the most important, patent number 1,897,833 filed granted on February 14, 1933 for what he called an "Audiphone". His "Audiphone" was an early version of a hearing aid concealed in a pair of glasses.
In 1938 and 1939, Uncle Will and Aunt Martha were in San Francisco. He was working on his inventions. At the time, his sister Carrie Elizabeth Benway Ratliff (1880-1949) and her family were also living in the city making the move easier.
A 1950 U.S. City Directory for Albany New York lists District Audiphone Co. Inc. 90 State, Room 1215 with William G.G. Benway as president, Dorothy B. Haworth as vice president and Mrs. Martha R. Benway, treasurer.
Mr. Benway dedicated his life to the hearing aid business and established several hearing aid centers in the area of Albany, New York. He himself was hearing impaired.
He was named after his cousin William Graham Greene (1812-1894) who died shortly before Uncle Will was born.
Biography by Michael Ratliff Lutz
----------
Will and Martha were in Seattle where he was General Manager of a Life Insurance Company and then Chairman of the US Chamber of Commerce. He lost his hearing ability. That started his long "road" to locate engineers, MDs or anyone who would work with him to invent some device that could help him hear better.
That took them to San Francisco where a physician and Will worked with copper wire, pennies, etc. to eventually result in his invention of what is know in the industry as the "bone conductor". When applied to the mastoid bone it vibrates the middle ear bones and increases some people's ability to hear. It helped him. He proceeded to create other devices and get patents.
Western Electric hired him as Vice President in New York City and used his patents. He saved money and then went to Albany and started his own hearing aid business - Capitol District Audiophone Co., Inc. He had salesmen in NY, MA and VT. My parents worked for him and ended up with the business upon his death. He died of a sudden heart attack about 1962.
Biography by Joan Haworth Seligman
Spouse:
Martha Robertson (1885-1975)
Children:
Helen Louise Benway(1909-1982)
Dorothy Isabel Benway (1913-2005)
Married: Elvin Russell Haworth(1910-1989)
On the birth certificate of his first daughter Helen Louise, he listed his occupation as "Minister of the Gospel". He was a Baptist minister.
William Graham Green Benway was an inventor. He held patents for several of his inventions; patent number 2,128,555 August 30, 1938 for a vibrating device, patent number 2,056,383 October 6, 1936 for an advertising display sign and probably the most important, patent number 1,897,833 filed granted on February 14, 1933 for what he called an "Audiphone". His "Audiphone" was an early version of a hearing aid concealed in a pair of glasses.
In 1938 and 1939, Uncle Will and Aunt Martha were in San Francisco. He was working on his inventions. At the time, his sister Carrie Elizabeth Benway Ratliff (1880-1949) and her family were also living in the city making the move easier.
A 1950 U.S. City Directory for Albany New York lists District Audiphone Co. Inc. 90 State, Room 1215 with William G.G. Benway as president, Dorothy B. Haworth as vice president and Mrs. Martha R. Benway, treasurer.
Mr. Benway dedicated his life to the hearing aid business and established several hearing aid centers in the area of Albany, New York. He himself was hearing impaired.
He was named after his cousin William Graham Greene (1812-1894) who died shortly before Uncle Will was born.
Biography by Michael Ratliff Lutz
----------
Will and Martha were in Seattle where he was General Manager of a Life Insurance Company and then Chairman of the US Chamber of Commerce. He lost his hearing ability. That started his long "road" to locate engineers, MDs or anyone who would work with him to invent some device that could help him hear better.
That took them to San Francisco where a physician and Will worked with copper wire, pennies, etc. to eventually result in his invention of what is know in the industry as the "bone conductor". When applied to the mastoid bone it vibrates the middle ear bones and increases some people's ability to hear. It helped him. He proceeded to create other devices and get patents.
Western Electric hired him as Vice President in New York City and used his patents. He saved money and then went to Albany and started his own hearing aid business - Capitol District Audiophone Co., Inc. He had salesmen in NY, MA and VT. My parents worked for him and ended up with the business upon his death. He died of a sudden heart attack about 1962.
Biography by Joan Haworth Seligman
Interred December 08, 1961
Spouse:
Martha Robertson (1885-1975)
Children:
Helen Louise Benway(1909-1982)
Dorothy Isabel Benway (1913-2005)
Married: Elvin Russell Haworth(1910-1989)
On the birth certificate of his first daughter Helen Louise, he listed his occupation as "Minister of the Gospel". He was a Baptist minister.
William Graham Green Benway was an inventor. He held patents for several of his inventions; patent number 2,128,555 August 30, 1938 for a vibrating device, patent number 2,056,383 October 6, 1936 for an advertising display sign and probably the most important, patent number 1,897,833 filed granted on February 14, 1933 for what he called an "Audiphone". His "Audiphone" was an early version of a hearing aid concealed in a pair of glasses.
In 1938 and 1939, Uncle Will and Aunt Martha were in San Francisco. He was working on his inventions. At the time, his sister Carrie Elizabeth Benway Ratliff (1880-1949) and her family were also living in the city making the move easier.
A 1950 U.S. City Directory for Albany New York lists District Audiphone Co. Inc. 90 State, Room 1215 with William G.G. Benway as president, Dorothy B. Haworth as vice president and Mrs. Martha R. Benway, treasurer.
Mr. Benway dedicated his life to the hearing aid business and established several hearing aid centers in the area of Albany, New York. He himself was hearing impaired.
He was named after his cousin William Graham Greene (1812-1894) who died shortly before Uncle Will was born.
Biography by Michael Ratliff Lutz
----------
Will and Martha were in Seattle where he was General Manager of a Life Insurance Company and then Chairman of the US Chamber of Commerce. He lost his hearing ability. That started his long "road" to locate engineers, MDs or anyone who would work with him to invent some device that could help him hear better.
That took them to San Francisco where a physician and Will worked with copper wire, pennies, etc. to eventually result in his invention of what is know in the industry as the "bone conductor". When applied to the mastoid bone it vibrates the middle ear bones and increases some people's ability to hear. It helped him. He proceeded to create other devices and get patents.
Western Electric hired him as Vice President in New York City and used his patents. He saved money and then went to Albany and started his own hearing aid business - Capitol District Audiophone Co., Inc. He had salesmen in NY, MA and VT. My parents worked for him and ended up with the business upon his death. He died of a sudden heart attack about 1962.
Biography by Joan Haworth Seligman
Spouse:
Martha Robertson (1885-1975)
Children:
Helen Louise Benway(1909-1982)
Dorothy Isabel Benway (1913-2005)
Married: Elvin Russell Haworth(1910-1989)
On the birth certificate of his first daughter Helen Louise, he listed his occupation as "Minister of the Gospel". He was a Baptist minister.
William Graham Green Benway was an inventor. He held patents for several of his inventions; patent number 2,128,555 August 30, 1938 for a vibrating device, patent number 2,056,383 October 6, 1936 for an advertising display sign and probably the most important, patent number 1,897,833 filed granted on February 14, 1933 for what he called an "Audiphone". His "Audiphone" was an early version of a hearing aid concealed in a pair of glasses.
In 1938 and 1939, Uncle Will and Aunt Martha were in San Francisco. He was working on his inventions. At the time, his sister Carrie Elizabeth Benway Ratliff (1880-1949) and her family were also living in the city making the move easier.
A 1950 U.S. City Directory for Albany New York lists District Audiphone Co. Inc. 90 State, Room 1215 with William G.G. Benway as president, Dorothy B. Haworth as vice president and Mrs. Martha R. Benway, treasurer.
Mr. Benway dedicated his life to the hearing aid business and established several hearing aid centers in the area of Albany, New York. He himself was hearing impaired.
He was named after his cousin William Graham Greene (1812-1894) who died shortly before Uncle Will was born.
Biography by Michael Ratliff Lutz
----------
Will and Martha were in Seattle where he was General Manager of a Life Insurance Company and then Chairman of the US Chamber of Commerce. He lost his hearing ability. That started his long "road" to locate engineers, MDs or anyone who would work with him to invent some device that could help him hear better.
That took them to San Francisco where a physician and Will worked with copper wire, pennies, etc. to eventually result in his invention of what is know in the industry as the "bone conductor". When applied to the mastoid bone it vibrates the middle ear bones and increases some people's ability to hear. It helped him. He proceeded to create other devices and get patents.
Western Electric hired him as Vice President in New York City and used his patents. He saved money and then went to Albany and started his own hearing aid business - Capitol District Audiophone Co., Inc. He had salesmen in NY, MA and VT. My parents worked for him and ended up with the business upon his death. He died of a sudden heart attack about 1962.
Biography by Joan Haworth Seligman
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