Robert Noyce was a natural business leader and visionary who helped start two of the most influential companies in the semiconductor business, Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel.
In the 75 years since Machine Design began publication, here are some of the people who have changed the way we live.
Robert Noyce
IC Co-inventor
1927-1990
He insisted his companies have a laid-back, casual approach to work, an approach that has become the template for high-tech start-ups. He was also among the first high-tech entrepreneurs to locate his businesses on that stretch of land between San Francisco and San Jose now known as Silicon Valley.
Noyce's contribution to the technical side of the Information Age as an inventor and engineer are probably even more important. He coinvented the integrated chip, pioneering the use of silicon, as well as setting an industry standard. Later, he presided over the team responsible for developing the microprocessor.
