2025 IEEE History Week

Silicon Valley is commonly acknowledged as the tech capital of the world. How did Silicon Valley come into being, and what can we learn for our own startups and tech hubs? How has Silicon Valley directly affected the IEEE? The story goes back to local Hams trying to break RCA's tube patents, Stanford "angel" investors, the sinking of the Titanic, WW II and radar, and the SF Bay Area infrastructure that developed – these factors pretty much determined that the semiconductor and IC industries would be located in the Santa Clara Valley, and that the Valley would remain the world’s innovation center as new technologies emerge, and be the model for innovation worldwide. Join highly decorated Silicon Valley veteran and IEEE Life Fellow Paul Wesling for this non-technical talk giving an exciting and colorful history of development and innovation that began in Palo Alto in 1909. You'll meet some of the colorful characters – Cyril Elwell, Lee De Forest, Bill Eitel, Charles Litton, Fred Terman, David Packard, Bill Hewlett, Bill Shockley and others – who came to define our worldwide electronics industries through their inventions and process development. We will profile four IEEE presidents from Silicon Valley: Fred Terman and his son Lew Terman; Bill Hewlett; and Charles (“Bud”) Eldon. You'll understand some of the novel management approaches that have become the hallmarks of its tech startups.

Join us on 9 October at 1:00 pm ET (5:00 pm UTC) for an exclusive virtual presentation celebrating IEEE History Week! The IEEE Foundation is hosting this insightful webinar, which will highlight artifacts from the past. Professor Allison Marsh, a renowned historian and writer for IEEE Spectrum, will discuss her favorite historical artifacts from her ongoing series titled "Past Forward." This series explores historical objects that highlight the limitless potential of technology. Register here: https://www.ieeefoundation.org/virtual-event/