Alan Shugart
Encyclopedia
Alan Field Shugart was an American engineer, entrepreneur and business executive whose career defined the modern computer disk drive industry.
, receiving a degree in engineering physics
. He began his career at IBM
in San Jose, California
. He worked on the IBM 305 RAMAC, and rose through a series of increasingly important positions to become the Direct Access Storage Product Manager, responsible for its disk storage products. Those were IBM's most profitable businesses at that time. Among the groups reporting to Shugart was the team that invented the floppy disk
.
He was the founder of Shugart Associates
in 1973, later acquired by Xerox
. Then he and Finis Conner started Shugart Technology in 1979, which soon changed its name to Seagate Technology
.
With Shugart as Chief Executive Officer, Seagate became the world’s largest independent manufacturer of disk drives and related components. In July 1998, Shugart resigned his positions with Seagate.
In 1996 he launched an unsuccessful campaign to elect Ernest, his Bernese Mountain Dog
to Congress. Shugart later wrote about that experience in a book, Ernest Goes to Washington (Well, Not Exactly). He backed a failed ballot initiative in 2000 to give California voters the option of choosing "none of the above" in elections.
He is recipient of the 1997 IEEE Reynold B. Johnson Information Storage Systems Award
.
Shugart was the father of three children: Joanne Shugart (b. 1951, d. 1954), Christopher D. Shugart (b. 12-13-53) and Teri L.K. Shugart (b. 8-13-55), and 4 grandchildren: Carly Erickson (b. 5-26-89), Mitchell Erickson (b. 8-23-91), Andrew Shugart (b. 4-16-80) and Janette Shugart (b. 11-1-85). Shugart was married to Esther Marrs (née Bell), the mother of Shugart's three children, from August 1951 until August 1973. He was married to Rita Shugart (née Kennedy) from 1981 until his death.
Shugart died on December 12, 2006 in Monterey, California
of complications from heart surgery he had undergone six weeks earlier.
Life
Born in Los Angeles, he graduated from the University of RedlandsUniversity of Redlands
The University of Redlands is a private liberal arts and sciences university located in Redlands, California. The university's campus sits on near downtown Redlands. The university was founded in 1907 and was associated with the American Baptist Church. The land for the university was donated by...
, receiving a degree in engineering physics
Engineering physics
Engineering physics is the study of the combined disciplines of physics, engineering and mathematics in order to develop an understanding of the interrelationships of these three disciplines. Fundamental physics is combined with problem solving and engineering skills, which then has broad...
. He began his career at IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
. He worked on the IBM 305 RAMAC, and rose through a series of increasingly important positions to become the Direct Access Storage Product Manager, responsible for its disk storage products. Those were IBM's most profitable businesses at that time. Among the groups reporting to Shugart was the team that invented the floppy disk
Floppy disk
A floppy disk is a disk storage medium composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic carrier lined with fabric that removes dust particles...
.
He was the founder of Shugart Associates
Shugart Associates
Shugart Associates was a computer peripheral manufacturer that dominated the floppy disk drive market in the late 1970s and is famous for introducing the 5¼-inch minifloppy disk drive....
in 1973, later acquired by Xerox
Xerox
Xerox Corporation is an American multinational document management corporation that produced and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems, photo copiers, digital production printing presses, and related consulting services and supplies...
. Then he and Finis Conner started Shugart Technology in 1979, which soon changed its name to Seagate Technology
Seagate Technology
Seagate Technology is one of the world's largest manufacturers of hard disk drives. Incorporated in 1978 as Shugart Technology, Seagate is currently incorporated in Dublin, Ireland and has its principal executive offices in Scotts Valley, California, United States.-1970s:On November 1, 1979...
.
With Shugart as Chief Executive Officer, Seagate became the world’s largest independent manufacturer of disk drives and related components. In July 1998, Shugart resigned his positions with Seagate.
In 1996 he launched an unsuccessful campaign to elect Ernest, his Bernese Mountain Dog
Bernese Mountain Dog
The Bernese Mountain Dog, called in German the Berner Sennenhund, is a large breed of dog, one of the four breeds of Sennenhund-type dogs from the Swiss Alps. The name Sennenhund is derived from the German "Senne" and "hund" , as they accompanied the alpine herders and dairymen called Senn...
to Congress. Shugart later wrote about that experience in a book, Ernest Goes to Washington (Well, Not Exactly). He backed a failed ballot initiative in 2000 to give California voters the option of choosing "none of the above" in elections.
He is recipient of the 1997 IEEE Reynold B. Johnson Information Storage Systems Award
IEEE Reynold B. Johnson Information Storage Systems Award
The IEEE Reynold B. Johnson Information Storage Systems Award is a Technical Field Award of the IEEE given each year to an individual, multiple recipients, or team up to three in number that has made outstanding contributions to information storage systems. The award is named in honor of Reynold...
.
Shugart was the father of three children: Joanne Shugart (b. 1951, d. 1954), Christopher D. Shugart (b. 12-13-53) and Teri L.K. Shugart (b. 8-13-55), and 4 grandchildren: Carly Erickson (b. 5-26-89), Mitchell Erickson (b. 8-23-91), Andrew Shugart (b. 4-16-80) and Janette Shugart (b. 11-1-85). Shugart was married to Esther Marrs (née Bell), the mother of Shugart's three children, from August 1951 until August 1973. He was married to Rita Shugart (née Kennedy) from 1981 until his death.
Shugart died on December 12, 2006 in Monterey, California
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
of complications from heart surgery he had undergone six weeks earlier.