Optical Pioneers
Julius King: America's First Teacher of Optics
By Joseph L. Bruneni

The man who would end up a leader in teaching opticians to refract started as a clerk in his father's Ohio jewelry business in the 1860s. They sold optical goods on the side, and Julius King grew interested in finding better ways to fit glasses.

In those days, spectacles were not adjusted, and the same width frame was used for everyone. King invented an adjustable frame that could be bent to any width. He also developed a wall chart for testing vision that was so successful it was sold through the 1940s.

He sold the jewelry business in 1870 and opened a wholesale optical company. In 1885, the House of King opened a branch in New York. And, in 1887, he started a school for opticians, inviting King Optical customers, jewelers, watchmakers, and druggists to attend. More than 1,200 optometrists and opticians nationwide took the course.

WHOLESALERS' ASSOCIATION

A preliminary meeting of leading optical wholesalers met in Niagara Falls in 1893 and decided there should be a wholesalers' trade association.

An organizational meeting was held in New York City in 1894, and the name chosen for the new group was the American Association of Wholesale Opticians (AAWO). King was elected president and served two terms.

This association would go through several name changes over the years, and today it is known as the Optical Laboratories Association (OLA).

In 1908, King became concerned about industrial eye injuries and soon became one of the first to enter the "Safety First" field. As a result, his company set up an industrial safety and eye protection department.

In 1923, the Julius King Optical Company was acquired by American Optical (AO). Following that, Julius' son Walter helped AO develop and set up a safety division and then served as its director of safety for many years.

Until his death in 1925, Julius King was a prominent figure in the development of the optical industry. His endeavors to elevate educational standards had much to do with the rapid advance of the optical professions. He was the first teacher of optics in the U.S., and enjoyed a long friendship with AO's George W. Wells.