The Origins of Silicon Valley: Why and How It Happened Here

Speaker Paul Wesling, ACM member, IEEE Life Fellow and Distinguished
Lecturer (retired from H-P/Tandem)

SF Bay ACM, IEEE-SCV Computer Chapter; Stanford and MIT Alumni co-presenting Registration: https://may1siliconvalley.eventbrite.com

6:45 arrive, register, network
7:30 lecture

Abstracts:
Early 20th century, angel investments, tech development, new management practices, where innovation happens today …

Why did Silicon Valley come into being? Paul Wesling, an engineer, executive, resident, and educator, will give an exciting and
colorful history of technology development and innovation that began in
Palo Alto before and during World War II, then spread across the Santa
Clara Valley following the war. You’ll meet some of the people and understand the management approaches that came to define the electronics industry. Paul has presented this talk to IEEE Sections in NYC, Philly, San Diego, Dallas, Atlanta and Portland, and at other venues around the world.

Bio:
Paul Wesling received his BS in electrical engineering and his MS in materials science from Stanford University. Following assignments at GTE/Lenkurt Electric, ISS/Sperry-Univac, Datapoint Peripheral Products (VP – Product Integrity), and Amdahl (mainframe testing), he joined Tandem Computers in Cupertino (now part of Hewlett Packard) in 1985. He designed several multi-chip module prototypes, managed Tandem’s Distinguished Lectures series, and organized a number of advanced technology courses for his Division and also for the IEEE. He managed a grant from the National Science Foundation for the development of multimedia educational modules. Paul retired from HP in 2001, and then served for 10 years as the Communications Director for the IEEE’s S.F. Bay Area Council.

As vice president of publications from 1985 through 2008, he supervised four archival journals and a newsletter for IEEE’s Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology (CPMT) Society. He is a Fellow of the IEEE, and received the IEEE Centennial Medal, the Board’s Distinguished Service award, the Society Contribution Award, and the IEEE’s Third Millennium Medal. He has organized over 500 courses for the local IEEE chapter in the Santa Clara Valley, many of them held at Stanford (and, more recently, at Silicon Valley company facilities). An Eagle Scout, he served as scoutmaster of his local Boy Scout Troop for 15 years, was Advisor of a High-Adventure Crew, and enjoys backpacking, fly fishing, guitar and amateur radio (call sign: KM6LH).