On a rainy January day in 1961, John F. Kennedy stood on the steps of the capitol and challenged his fellow Americans to “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” Had it not been for a small piece of equipment developed in Evanston, the world might not have heard him.

Shure Inc. is an Evanston-based company that has set the standard for audio products — particularly wired and wireless microphones — since its creation more than 75 years ago. The company now has distribution offices around the world and factories in Wheeling, Ill., and Mexico.

More often than not, there’s a Shure microphone on the podium at every one of TV’s most important events, including the Grammy Awards, the Academy Awards, the Super Bowl and the Olympics.

Shure is so respected that it won a Grammy this year. The Technical Grammy Award is presented to companies who make “contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.” The company was given the award at the 45th annual Grammy Awards, held at Madison Square Garden in New York City Feb. 22 and 23. The award is given annually to a person or group chosen by the academy who contributes to audio science and technology, said Michelle Zenner Kohler, a Shure spokeswoman.

The Recording Academy, a group of professional recorders and producers, voted to include Shure this year. The Technical Grammy — first offered in 1994 –has awarded such pioneers as Les Paul, Robert Moog and Sony/Philips.

If its extensive clientele is any indication, Shure makes music accessible to everyone. Shure microphones were recently named the official microphone of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and are used by Grammy winners Coldplay, India Arie, Foo Fighters and Herbie Hancock, as well as a host of others, including Wilco and the Strokes. It’s also a huge name for DJs in the electronica industry.

“We’re pretty much the best in the business,” Kohler said.

McCormick freshman Noah Levin, the technical director for Northwestern’s Jewish Theater Ensemble, agreed.

“Shure is (to microphones) like the Kleenex of tissues,” said Levin, who added that microphones can make or break sound.

“Without quality microphones, it’s impossible to have solid sound design,” he said. “If the microphone sounds good on its own, it’s one less thing I need to enhance myself.”

But Shure existed even before the Grammys. It was founded in Evanston in1925 by S. N. Shure.

Originally, the Shure corporation packaged radio parts and sent them to catalogue subscribers around the country.

Over the years, the company has provided equipment for American tanks and airplanes in World War II and has been the official microphone for all presidential addresses since the Johnson administration.

When Nixon resigned, Shure was there. When Bill Clinton explained what “is” is, Shure was there.

The company hasn’t always worked just in microphones.

Before Shure entered the audio production business, they were known for phono cartridges, also known as record needles. They also invented the first practical stereo phono cartridge. When CDs made cartridges obsolete, the company shifted focus.

“We have Shure distribution centers in every country throughout the world,” Kohler said.

Shure is also active in the fight against hearing loss. For the second year in a row, the Shure Musical Roots benefit concert, held at the House of Blues in Anaheim, Calif., worked to fight hearing loss and increase awareness from concertgoers and musicians. The annual event raised $50,000 for hearing conservation charities. Shure employees handed out earplugs to all concertgoers at the door and screened an educational film by the Hearing Aid Music Foundation.

“Hearing conservation is a major corporate cause that we feel is very important,” Kohler said from the company’s offices in Evanston.

“We feel it is important to keep the welfare of our customers and their musical careers intact, so we like to educate people to protect themselves so they can enjoy music for the rest of their lives,” she said.

After all the hype, Shure could get a swelled head, but Kohler gave her personal guarantee that the company won’t slack off.

“Winning the Grammy is a huge honor for us and we’re very excited about it,” Kohler said. “We’re going to continue to do things as we have done them in the past.” nyou