Arlene Harris (inventor)
A visionary entrepreneur who turned wireless technology from a business tool into a personal necessity, pioneering the mobile consumer market.
Born 1948 (age 78)·American inventor·Birthday: June 6·Baby Boomers
Biography
Arlene Harris didn't just work in wireless technology; she possessed a prescient understanding of its human potential. Long before cell phones were ubiquitous, she saw them not as bulky car phones for executives but as essential, personal devices. Her career is a map of the industry's evolution. She co-founded the first company to offer nationwide cellular service and later developed the technology behind the first customizable cell phone, the 'Cricket.' But her most profound impact came with the creation of the Jitterbug, a simple, large-button phone designed explicitly for older adults. This move wasn't just clever marketing; it reflected her core belief that technology should serve and connect people, not intimidate them. As a founder, investor, and policy advocate, Harris consistently pushed the industry to be more accessible and consumer-focused, breaking barriers and proving that the most powerful signal is the one that reaches everyone.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Arlene was born in 1948, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Arlene Was Born
The biggest hits of 1948
#1 Movie
The Red Shoes
Best Picture
Hamlet
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Arlene's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1948Born
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1953Started school
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1961Became a teenager
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Could drive
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1966Could vote
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Turned 21
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1978Turned 30
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 40
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 50
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 60
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 70
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 78 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the first woman inducted into the Wireless Hall of Fame in 2007.
- Spearheaded the development of the Jitterbug phone, making mobile technology accessible to senior citizens.
- Co-founded and led multiple successful telecommunications companies, including Dyna LLC.
- Inducted into the Consumer Technology Hall of Fame in 2017 for her impact on consumer electronics.
Did You Know?
She is married to Martin Cooper, who is credited with making the first public handheld cellular phone call.
She holds multiple patents related to wireless communication and user interface design.
Her work in policy helped shape the early regulatory landscape for cellular communications in the United States.
“The phone should be simple enough for my mother to use.”
