Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories (RAL), completed in 1918, was the world's first independent laboratory constructed for measuring the acoustical properties of architectural elements. The facility was originally named the Wallace Clement Sabine Laboratory of Acoustics for the renown Harvard physicist who designed the laboratory. The laboratory was financed by philanthropist Colonel George Fabyan and located on his estate in Geneva, Illinois. Wallace Sabine, today regarded as the father of the science of architectural acoustics, died in 1919 and was succeeded by his cousin, Paul E. Sabine. Also a Harvard physicist, Paul Sabine continued Wallace's research, managing the laboratory until he retired in 1947. The laboratory has been operated by Alion Science and Technology (Alion) since that time. Alion has continually updated and expanded the facilities in order to maintain a leading position in architectural acoustical testing.