For 250 years, American engineers and entrepreneurs have impressed the world with their inventions. Fulbright alumnus Amar Bose combined his interest in music and electronics to establish the Bose Corporation after undertaking his Fulbright research in the 1950s. The iconic brand—Bose—is an example of the achievement and inventions possible when American ingenuity combines with opportunities for in-depth study and cutting-edge research through the Fulbright Program.

Even after Bose’s death in 2013, the company he founded continues his legacy of engineering excellence, and is guided by its founder’s vision: “Never lose your imagination. Always dream of things that are better and think about ways to reach those things.”

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Amar Bose studied the violin as a child and nurtured a passion for classical music. He was also fascinated by electronics. In order to help his family, he even operated his own radio repair shop. “I could build these things and get them to work, but I couldn’t design them,” said Bose. “I wanted very much to know what the theory was behind all of this.”

Bose’s aptitude and hard work resulted in a full scholarship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering in the 1950s. To gain experience and depth while at MIT, Bose sought international experiences. He spent a year at the research labs of NV Philips Electronics in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. During his doctoral study, he realized that he needed additional training in math to be successful in engineering, an ambition fulfilled through a Fulbright U.S. Student award to study mathematics at the National Physical Laboratory in New Delhi, India in 1956.

When Bose completed his doctorate, he rewarded himself with a new Hi-Fi sound system. His disappointment in the sound quality led him to ask a fateful question—was there a better way to replicate concert hall quality of sound through a speaker?

Bose turned his ideas into action, creating the Bose Corporation in 1964. Its first contracts supplied the U.S. Military and NASA with products that improved audio communications. Amar Bose and his team would later build the global Bose brand of commercial products based on his groundbreaking speaker designs.

At the same time, Bose continued to teach at MIT for more than 45 years. His classes were known as some of the most popular and challenging, according to a posthumous tribute published by MIT.

Bose propelled his field forward in the both the lab and in the marketplace. Bose products have changed the way that people experienced music through the best-selling 901 speaker system (offering life-like sound through bookshelf-size speakers), the first factory-installed sound systems for vehicles, and countless other systems designed to deliver a rich, deep sound quality for use inside and outside of the home.

Under Bose’s leadership, Bose Corporation grew to be a multinational, multi-billion dollar industry-leader that dominated the market in home and professional speaker systems used all over the world, from Olympic stadiums to the Sistine Chapel.

Bose served as Chairman of the Board until his death at the age of 83, at which time the company employed over 9,000 people. Bose Corporation continues to innovate with surround-sound speaker systems, noise-canceling headphones, and other commercial and professional grade audio equipment that supports the U.S. military, private pilots, NFL coaches, and millions of consumers.

Amar Bose’s drive to innovate through international research has resulted in a legacy of new technologies and products which improve the lives—and listening experiences—of people across the globe.