The contributions of William F. House to the field of implantable auditory devices.

William F. House was a pioneer in the evolving field of cochlear implants and auditory brainstem implants. Because of his vision, innovation and perseverance, the way was paved for future clinicians and researchers to carry on the work and advance a field that has been dedicated to serving adults and children with severe to profound hearing loss. Several of William House's contributions are highlighted in this prestigious volume to honor the recipients of the 2013 Lasker-Debakey Clinical Medical Research Award. Discussed are the early inventive years, clinical trials with the single-channel cochlear implant, the team approach, pediatric cochlear implantation, and the auditory brainstem implant. Readers may be surprised to learn that those early contributions continue to have relevance today. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled <Lasker Award>.