Carroll Myers passed away January 24, 2018, in College Station Texas at age 84. Carroll was truly a pioneer in the commercial and industrial lighting industry.
After receiving a degree in Architecture from the University of Texas in Austin, and a degree in electrical engineering from Trinity University in San Antonio, Carroll became thrust into the new and exciting emerging technologies in the lighting industry.
Soon he would be employed by the Houston based outdoor lighting company, Widelite, where he would put to use his talents of bringing a typical industrial lighting manufacturer into utilizing their products for architectural applications. While at Widelite, Carroll was instrumental in the design and creation of Widelite’s famous F-Flood, still widely specified today.
In the 1960’s, Wall Street was encouraging investment in the new emerging lighting technologies (mercury vapor, metal halide, high pressure sodium) and Esquire magazine became instrumental in diving into this industry. Carroll was promoted to the assistant to the President of the lighting divisions of Esquire, moved to the New York Manhattan offices and was tasked with acquiring independent lighting manufacturers, ultimately creating the very first lighting conglomerate, acquiring one of every type of lighting product under one holding company. Part of the offering included manufacturers like Gotham Art Metal, Moldcast, Rangaire, and Imperial Bronzelite, just to name a few.
Carroll then needed a sales force to go to market with his new lighting package, so he set out traveling the country, creating and contracting with, what is today know as, the modern lighting agent. When he got to the assignment of last open territory – Houston, Texas, he kept it for himself and moved back to Texas and created Lighting Associates, Inc. – today one of the premier lighting agents in the country. This model of selling and marketing of commercial and industrial lighting equipment is still in play to this day.
Carroll Myers was a talented lighting designer in a time when architectural lighting design was in its infancy. Carroll practiced and taught others the art of design, winning many IES and IIDA National and International lighting design awards, including the prestigious Edwin Guth Memorial Award – the “Oscar” of the lighting design community in 1985.
Carroll gave back to the Lighting industry that he loved, becoming a three time past President of the San Jacinto section of the Illuminating Engineering Society. While a lifelong member of the IES, Carroll volunteered and taught every single module of the Fundamentals of Lighting courses of the IES, giving up his time and money. Additionally, he taught the business to many employees and colleagues who went on to start their own successful companies in the Houston lighting market. Many owe Carroll Myers their careers due to the mentoring and education that he gave them, including members of CW Lighting, LESCO Lighting, Sustainable Lighting and Controls, Bos Lighting Design, and his children and grandchildren who are all in the Lighting Industry today.
Carroll is survived by his son Mark Myers – President of Lighting Associates, and son Michael Myers – President of Power America, Grandsons Christopher Myers / Blake Myers – Partners at Lighting Associates, and Granddaughter Lauren West – President of Sustainable Lighting Controls.