Joel Spira

Joel Solon Spira (March 1, 1927 – April 8, 2015) was an American inventor, entrepreneur, and business magnate. He invented a version of the light-dimmer switch for use in homes around the United States and led his Lutron Electronics Company into the production of lighting controllers. Early life and education Spira was born in New York City in 1927 to a Jewish family. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in physics from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, in 1948 and later sponsored, along with his wife, The Ruth and Joel Spira Award for Outstanding Teaching at Purdue's School of Mechanical Engineering.