David Hall

David Hall (b. December 16, 1916 New Rochelle, New York — d. April 10, 2012 Castine, Maine) was a sound archivist and writer. Career Hall was born to Fairfax Hall (1886–1958), a pediatrician, and Eleanor Raeburn Remy (maiden; 1895–1962). He attended college-preparatory school at Phillips Exeter Academy, graduating in 1935, and went on to Yale University, earning a B.A. in 1939. Hall also did postgraduate work at Columbia University from 1940 to 1941. At the urging of family friend, Saturday Review of Literature Editor Norman Cousins, Hall abandoned his graduate studies to write an annotated discography of recorded sound. The book instructed record collectors on "how to lay a solid foundation for a record library, what pitfalls to avoid in the buying of records, whether or not it is advisable to specialize, and how to distinguish between fair and excellent recordings of the same composition." The book also provided tips on playback equipment and offered detailed commentary on the whole range of recorded music, from classical through experimental music, jazz, folk, and spoken word. The Record Book appeared in 1940 and was followed by a series of supplements, and international edition (1948). The last supplement appeared in 1950. The series was an immediate hit, selling more than 100,000 copies.