Gordon Moore Death, Obituary – Intel and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation made the announcement today that business co-founder Gordon Moore has passed away at the age of 94. The announcement was made in Santa Clara, California, on March 24, 2023. According to the foundation, he passed away without suffering on Friday, March 24, 2023, while at his home in Hawaii, surrounded by his family.
Moore and his lifelong friend and business partner Robert Noyce established Intel in July of 1968. Moore began his tenure with the company in 1965 as executive vice president and continued in that role until 1975, when he was promoted to president. Moore was given the roles of chairman of the board and chief executive officer in 1979. He served in these capacities until 1987, when he stepped down from the CEO role but remained in his role as chairman. Moore was named chairman emeritus in 1997 and stepped away from his position in 2006.
Read more about Gordon Moore in the following tributes: He Stands Alone Among Tech Giants (Tribute) and Gordon Moore at Intel (Press Kit) During his lifetime, Moore focused most of his attention and energy on philanthropic endeavors, particularly those relating to the betterment of patient care, scientific research, and the preservation of natural resources.
Since its inception in 2000, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has given away more than $5.1 billion to various charity organizations around the world. He and his wife of 72 years formed the foundation together. Harvey Fineberg, the president of the foundation, reflected on the fact that those of us who have had the opportunity to meet and work with Gordon will always be inspired by the wisdom, humility, and generosity he possessed.
“While he never sought to be a household name, Gordon’s vision and the work he did throughout his life made possible the remarkable invention and technology breakthroughs that impact our lives on a daily basis. But, those significant historical accomplishments are merely a portion of his legacy. His and Betty’s selflessness as benefactors will leave their mark on the world for many years to come.
The Chief Executive Officer of Intel, Pat Gelsinger, was quoted as saying, “Gordon Moore defined the technology sector through his intellect and vision.” He played an important role in demonstrating the potential of transistors and served as an inspiration to innovators in the field of technology and business for many decades. Moore’s Law continues to serve as a source of motivation for those of us working at Intel, and we expect to continue pursuing it until the elements on the periodic table have been used up.
In this effort to leverage the power of technology to better the lives of every person on Earth, Gordon’s vision continues to guide us as the true north of our efforts. My career and a significant portion of my life took shape inside the possibilities fuelled by Gordon’s leadership at the helm of Intel, and I am honored and responsible to continue his legacy forward, which leaves me feeling humbled.
“Gordon was a great scientist and one of America’s premier entrepreneurs and business leaders,” Frank D. Yeary, the chair of Intel’s board of directors, said in a statement after Gordon’s passing. Without the contributions that Gordon Moore made, it is not feasible to envision the society in which we currently exist, in which computing plays such an important role in our everyday lives. His method of thinking will always remain at the center of Intel’s innovation culture, and he will forever be an inspiration to our family here at Intel.
Andy Bryant, who served as the former chairman of the board of directors for Intel, had this to say about Gordon: “I will remember Gordon as a brilliant scientist, a straight-talker, and an intelligent businessperson who strove to make the world a better place and always did the right thing.” It was an honor to get to know him, and I’m thankful that his legacy will continue on in the form of the values upheld by the organization that he was instrumental in establishing.
Moore and Noyce were instrumental in the first commercial production of diffused silicon transistors and the development of the world’s first commercially viable integrated circuits before they went on to found Intel. Prior to that, Moore and Noyce were co-founders of Fairchild Semiconductor, where they both worked before going on to found Intel. The two had worked together in the past for William Shockley, who was a co-inventor of the transistor and the founder of Shockley Semiconductor.
Shockley Semiconductor was the first semiconductor business to be created in what would later become Silicon Valley. Moore and Noyce decided to go into business for themselves, and as their third employee, they brought on Andy Grove, who would go on to become the CEO of Intel. Together, the three of them turned Intel into one of the most successful corporations in the world. As a group, they came to be known as the “Intel Trinity,” and the legacy they left behind is still carried on today.
In addition to playing a pivotal role in the establishment of two of the most innovative technology companies in the world, Gordon E. Moore is credited with making the now-famous prediction in 1965 that the number of transistors on an integrated circuit would double on an annual basis. This forecast became known as Moore’s Law.
In an interview from 2008, Moore stated, “All I was trying to do was get that message through, that by putting more and more stuff on a chip we were going to make all electronics cheaper.” “All I was trying to do was get that message across,”
Moore’s prognosis from 1965 turned out to be accurate, therefore in 1975 he amended his estimate to say that the number of transistors on an integrated circuit would double every two years for the next ten years. Regardless, the concept of chip technology expanding at an exponential rate, continually making electronics faster, smaller, and cheaper, became the driving force behind the semiconductor industry and paved the way for the widespread use of chips in millions of different products that people use on a daily basis.
Gelsinger made the announcement in 2022 that the Oregon site at Ronler Acres would be renamed Gordon Moore Park at Ronler Acres. This is the location where Intel teams explore new process technologies for the future. The Gordon, the building’s in-house eatery, and the RA4 building, which houses the majority of Intel’s Technical Development Group, have both been rechristened as The Moore Center.
At the event, Gelsinger stated, “I can think of no better way to honor Gordon and the deep impact he’s had on this company than by putting his name on this campus.” “I can think of no better way to honor Gordon and the profound impact he’s had on this company.” “I hope we did you proud today, Gordon. And the entire planet is grateful to you.”
Gordon Earle Moore’s parents, Walter Harold Moore and Florence Almira “Mira” (Williamson) Moore, welcomed him into the world on January 3, 1929 in San Francisco. Moore received his education from San Jose State University, the University of California at Berkeley, and the California Institute of Technology. In 1954, he was awarded a Ph.D. in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology.