In Memoriam – Intel’s Andrew S. Grove 1936-2016

Techies around the world lost a champion recently when former Intel CEO and Chair Andrew S. Grove passed away at the age of 79. Engineer, author, scientist, entrepreneur, educator and philanthropist, Grove’s death marks the passing of one of the most influential people of the 20th century. 

Grove lived through scarlet fever, as well as both the Nazi and Soviet occupations of Hungary. Fleeing Eastern Europe in 1956, Grove settled in New York City and taught himself English in between shifts working as a busboy. 

After earning a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the City College of New York in 1960 and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from UC Berkeley in 1963, Grove went to work for Fairchild Semiconductors. In 1968, he became part of a group that founded Intel. He was pivotal in a pair of moves by Intel, first changing the company’s focus from memory chips to microprocessors and then negotiating with IBM to feature Intel microprocessors in its PCs.  

Intel microprocessors were found in a host of everyday items, including computers, digital cameras, appliances, toys and more. This led to Intel becoming the world’s seventh largest company, with 64,000 employees and $26 billion in annual revenues. 

Apple’s Steve Jobs often turned to Grove for advice, and in 1997 Grove was named Time magazine’s “Man of the Year.” He authored books on science, Physics and Technology of Semiconductor Devices; business operations, High Output Management; and management, Only the Paranoid Survive. 

Grove’s philanthropic efforts included multimillion dollar donations to his alma mater, City College of NY, and to fight Parkinson’s disease.