The Rise of Silicon Valley: Shockley Labs to Fairchild

On February 13, 1956, co-inventor of the transistor William Shockley formally announced the establishment of Shockley Labs, Silicon Valley's first semiconductor company. In their modest Quonset hut laboratory on San Antonio Avenue in Mountain View, California Shockley's hand-picked team of some of the nation's brightest young scientists and engineers developed innovative technologies and ideas that forever changed the way we live, work and play. This lecture celebrates the 50th anniversary of this pivotal event in the history of Silicon Valley. Technology historian Michael Riordan is joined by early Shockley employees and associates Jim Gibbons, Jay Last, Hans Queisser, and Harry Sello in this lecture and panel discussion.