Sanford Greenberg

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Sanford D. Greenberg, known as Sandy, is an American inventor, author, public servant, and philanthropist who has devoted his life to ending blindness. Born December 13, 1940, in Buffalo, New York, he became blind after glaucoma during college. A surgeon blinded him to save his eyes, and with encouragement from Art Garfunkel, he returned to Columbia University, finished his degree, and served as class president and Phi Beta Kappa.

Early life and education
Greenberg attended Bennett High School in Buffalo. He earned a BA and an MBA from Columbia University, and an MA and PhD in government from Harvard University. He was a Marshall Scholar and spent time at Linacre College, Oxford. He also studied at Harvard Law School and later earned another MBA from Columbia Business School, where he was an assistant professor in public law and government.

Career highlights
Greenberg founded International Communications Associates, a company focused on information processing technology. In 1966 he developed and patented an electronic device for compressed speech that speeds up spoken words from recordings without distortion. That year he was named one of the ten Outstanding Young Men of America by the United States Junior Chamber and was chosen as a White House Fellow in the Johnson administration, where he formed a close relationship with David Rockefeller.

In 1968 he launched EDP (Electronic Data Processing), a systems-analysis company in Washington, DC. He continued refining his speech-compression device, which was licensed to major manufacturers such as Sony, GE, and Matsushita. Greenberg helped renovate Ford’s Theatre and co-edited The Presidential Advisory System (1969) with Thomas Cronin. In 1974 he was named Man of the Year by the Young Presidents’ Organization. He owned the Capital Centre (Landover, MD) and the Richfield Coliseum, and in 1983 he founded TEI Industries. He served on the National Science Board (appointed by Bill Clinton in 1994) and, in 1996, became chairman of the Rural Healthcare Corporation.

Greenberg Prize
In 2012 Greenberg announced the Greenberg Prize, a $3 million award for scientists who make the greatest progress toward ending blindness. The prize gained international attention when it was featured at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2014. In 2020, the Greenberg Prize was awarded to 13 scientists and researchers.

Recognition and memoir
Greenberg was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2016. In 2020 he published Hello Darkness, My Old Friend, a memoir about his life, blindness, and his quest to end blindness. The book includes a foreword by Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an introduction by Art Garfunkel, and a final word by Margaret Atwood; the audiobook is read by Garfunkel. In 2023 Harvard awarded him the Harvard Centennial Medal.

Personal life
Greenberg married Susan Roseno in 1962 in Buffalo. Art Garfunkel is the godfather to their three children. He has chosen not to use common aids for the blind, such as guide dogs, canes, or Braille. He enjoys basketball and collects art he cannot see, including works by Frank Stella, Picasso, and Rembrandt.