Walter A. Lawson studied both piano and horn as a youngster. During World War II, he worked for the Associated Press as a teletype mechanic, and served in the U. S. Army (Military Police and Signal Corps). In 1947, he entered the Peabody Conservatory, studying piano with Frederick Griesinger and horn with Jerry T. Knop and Ward O. Fearn. He joined the Baltimore Symphony in 1949 as second horn and played with the orchestra until 1976. Also in 1949, he began working as an instrument repairman and eventually struck out on his own, opening the Lawson Brass Instrument Repair Company in Baltimore in 1956.

When he left the orchestra in 1976, he moved himself and the operation to Boonsboro, Maryland, and in 1980, with sons Bruce, Duane, and Paul, formed Lawson Brass Instruments, Inc., dedicated to the design and manufacture of horns. His contributions and success are well-documented by the many professional players who use his instruments and his services as a designer and repairman. For thirty years, Walter Lawson has been a dominant force in the horn-making community. His presentations at regional and international workshops continually open communication between hornists and makers. In addition, Walter served on the IHS Advisory Council in the early 1980s.