Centennial
An optometrist famous among audiologists, Dr. E. Robert Libby, '43, made a name for himself when he created the Libby Horn, a hearing-aid improvement which maximizes high frequencies. Described as “a friend to all”, Dr. Libby spent thousands of hours bridging the gap between the hearing health care disciplines.
Born in Philadelphia in 1920, Libby grew up in Strawberry Mansion, where his father, a Ukrainian immigrant, and mother ran a Liberty Hats store at 29th and Gordon Streets.
While attending Overbrook High School, Libby made money by selling peanuts and programs at the old Robin Hood Deli. After graduation, he attended the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) with the help of a scholarship.
Originally named Eliah Libshitz, Dr. Libby often found it difficult to attract customers to his office in Upper Darby under such a foreign name, thus “Dr. E. Robert Libby” was born. Almost immediately, customers began to arrive. After seven years, he relocated to a much larger office at 6796 Market St., where he worked for the next 56 years.
Published in 1980, his two volume, “Binaural Hearing and Amplification” focused on the importance of binaural hearing aid fitting, which was a major step in accepting binaural hearing in the United States.
In 1982, because of his love for tinkering, and because many of his eye patients who also had hearing issues, he invented the Libby Horn. Gaining the respect of audiologists, otologists and hearing specialists alike, the device was a great success.
Throughout his successful career, he received awards such as The New York League, “Fletcher Award” (1982), and the Hearing Instrument’s “Distinguished Service Award” (1989).
For 62 years, he served as president of Associated Hearing Instruments in Upper Darby, Pa. He also served as the director of the Board of Directors of Etymotic Research, the Better Hearing Institute, and the Board of Advisors to Zenith Hearing Aid Corporation.
He started a new career recently by teaching Longevity and Wellness at Temple University’s Association of Retired Professionals.
Dr. Libby was married to Mira Libby for 57 years before her passing in 2011. He has two children, Claire and Daniel and two grandchildren.
