Dear members of the Berklee community,
On June 8, William “Bill” Gitt, former faculty member and chief engineer at Berklee, passed away at age 86.
Born in Hanover, Pennsylvania, Bill got his start at Dartmouth College in the early 1950s, as a student building electronics for the college’s radio station. He joined the U.S. Army after college, where he expanded his knowledge of electronics. Bill contracted at RCA for the army on the first silicone-based computer in Camden, New Jersey.
Joe Hostetter, Bill Gitt, and Wayne Wadhams in the studio
While working as a projectionist at the Coolidge Corner Theatre, Bill began working with Wayne Wadhams at The Film Associates in Boston. In the early 1980s, Berklee hired Wadhams to create the first purpose-built recording studios at Berklee, as the college was launching the Music Production and Engineering Department. Bill designed and supervised the installation of nearly all the studio wiring and equipment.
“Bill was dedicated to keeping the facilities in top shape and had very high standards and innovative ideas,” says Don Puluse, founding chair and first dean of the Music Technology Division at Berklee. “Bill’s contributions were not limited to maintaining facilities. He was the only instructor of our maintenance course, and students who were interested in a deeper technical understanding expanded their horizons under Bill’s watchful eye.”
Bill taught part-time while continuing his studio work, helping maintain as many as 32 facilities across campus before retiring at age 78. “He was a complete mentor and had a special relationship with those students,” Puluse says. “Several have successfully pursued technical careers.”
I know I speak for our entire community in expressing our condolences to Bill’s loved ones, friends, colleagues, and former students.
I invite you to share your stories and memories below.
Sincerely,
Jay Kennedy
Vice President for Academic Affairs/Vice Provost
Berklee
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Timothy Metzinger
I learned so much from Bill Gitt, even though I was never in one of his classes. His corrective guidance when I was a student and assistant supervisor and when I was learning to use the (then cutting edge) BTX and Sony digital gear taught me a great deal about professionalism, persistence, and the importance of doing things right (preferably the first time). In my later career moves in the Coast Guard, Law Enforcement, and Information Technology, Bill’s examples stuck with me, and I credit him for his contributions to my success.