Mark Shepherd (businessman)
Encyclopedia
Mark Shepherd was the chairman and chief executive officer of Texas Instruments
. He was in attendance at the demonstration of the integrated circuit
by Jack Kilby
on September 12, 1958.
on January 18, 1923, where his father was a police officer. He started private school as a three-year-old and constructed a vacuum tube
at the age of six and a radio when he was seven, graduating from high school at the age of 14. He attended Southern Methodist University
in Dallas, Texas, where he was awarded a bachelor's degree with honors in electrical engineering
, and earned a master's degree at the University of Illinois. He served in the United States Navy
, where he specialized in radar and electronics systems on the USS Tucson
, completing his service with the rank of lieutenant.
Following the completion of his military service, Shepherd worked for General Electric
and the Farnsworth Television and Radio Corporation, a firm established by television pioneer Philo Farnsworth
.
in 1948, a company which then focused on the oil and gas drilling industry; GSI subsequently evolved into Texas Instruments
. He was one of four engineers sent by the company in 1952 to Bell Laboratories to study the transistor
. Texas Instruments licensed the transistor technology that had been invented at Bell Labs in 1947 and pursued applications for its use.
After obtaining the licensing agreement, Shepherd built a team to produce working transistors. In 1958, he was the head of the semiconductor team as Jack Kilby
invented the integrated circuit
, which Texas Instruments used in the development of the company's hand-held calculator
s, printers and personal computers, as well as toys.
Shepherd spearheaded the company's international expansion, opening semiconductor fabrication plants overseas, including in Japan
. His focus on cutting costs to keep the company competitive led to the implementation of computer-aided methods for manufacturing semiconductor-based products. With increasing competition later in his career from Asian suppliers, Shepherd shifted Texas Instruments away from consumer products and focused on semiconductor technology.
He was the company's chief engineer and chief operating officer before being named as chief executive officer in 1969. He was named as the firm's CEO in 1976, serving in that role until 1988.
Author Michael Malone described Shepherd as someone who "drove T.I. into world leadership not only in semiconductors, but took the chip industry into consumer electronics with calculators, digital watches and toys where Texas Instruments dominated even companies like Hewlett-Packard and Intel".
, where they raised longhorn cattle
. As described in his obituary in The New York Times
, Shepherd was "an engineer to the core" even in retirement, taking responsibility for construction of buildings, dams and fire protection equipment on the ranch.
Shepherd died at age 86 on February 4, 2009 at his ranch in Quitman due to complications of pulmonary fibrosis. He was survived by his wife, Mary Alice, two daughters and three granddaughters.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Inc. , widely known as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, United States, which develops and commercializes semiconductor and computer technology...
. He was in attendance at the demonstration of the integrated circuit
Integrated circuit
An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit is an electronic circuit manufactured by the patterned diffusion of trace elements into the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material...
by Jack Kilby
Jack Kilby
Jack St. Clair Kilby was an American physicist who took part in the invention of the integrated circuit while working at Texas Instruments in 1958. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics in 2000. He is credited with the invention of the integrated circuit or microchip...
on September 12, 1958.
Biography
Shepherd was born in Dallas, TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
on January 18, 1923, where his father was a police officer. He started private school as a three-year-old and constructed a vacuum tube
Vacuum tube
In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube , or thermionic valve , reduced to simply "tube" or "valve" in everyday parlance, is a device that relies on the flow of electric current through a vacuum...
at the age of six and a radio when he was seven, graduating from high school at the age of 14. He attended Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
in Dallas, Texas, where he was awarded a bachelor's degree with honors in electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
, and earned a master's degree at the University of Illinois. He served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, where he specialized in radar and electronics systems on the USS Tucson
USS Tucson (CL-98)
USS Tucson was a modified Atlanta-class light cruiser, sometimes referred to as "Oakland-class". She was laid down on 23 December 1942 in San Francisco, California by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation; launched on 3 September 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Emmett S. Claunch, Sr.; and commissioned on 3...
, completing his service with the rank of lieutenant.
Following the completion of his military service, Shepherd worked for General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
and the Farnsworth Television and Radio Corporation, a firm established by television pioneer Philo Farnsworth
Philo Farnsworth
Philo Taylor Farnsworth was an American inventor and television pioneer. Although he made many contributions that were crucial to the early development of all-electronic television, he is perhaps best known for inventing the first fully functional all-electronic image pickup device , the "image...
.
Texas Instruments
He was hired by Geophysical Service IncorporatedGeophysical Service Incorporated
Geophysical Service Inc. was founded by John Clarence Karcher and Eugene McDermott in 1930 for the purpose of using refraction and reflection seismology to explore for petroleum deposits. It became one of the most successful seismic exploration contractors in the industry for many years...
in 1948, a company which then focused on the oil and gas drilling industry; GSI subsequently evolved into Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Inc. , widely known as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, United States, which develops and commercializes semiconductor and computer technology...
. He was one of four engineers sent by the company in 1952 to Bell Laboratories to study the transistor
Transistor
A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals and power. It is composed of a semiconductor material with at least three terminals for connection to an external circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of the transistor's terminals changes the current...
. Texas Instruments licensed the transistor technology that had been invented at Bell Labs in 1947 and pursued applications for its use.
After obtaining the licensing agreement, Shepherd built a team to produce working transistors. In 1958, he was the head of the semiconductor team as Jack Kilby
Jack Kilby
Jack St. Clair Kilby was an American physicist who took part in the invention of the integrated circuit while working at Texas Instruments in 1958. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics in 2000. He is credited with the invention of the integrated circuit or microchip...
invented the integrated circuit
Integrated circuit
An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit is an electronic circuit manufactured by the patterned diffusion of trace elements into the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material...
, which Texas Instruments used in the development of the company's hand-held calculator
Calculator
An electronic calculator is a small, portable, usually inexpensive electronic device used to perform the basic operations of arithmetic. Modern calculators are more portable than most computers, though most PDAs are comparable in size to handheld calculators.The first solid-state electronic...
s, printers and personal computers, as well as toys.
Shepherd spearheaded the company's international expansion, opening semiconductor fabrication plants overseas, including in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. His focus on cutting costs to keep the company competitive led to the implementation of computer-aided methods for manufacturing semiconductor-based products. With increasing competition later in his career from Asian suppliers, Shepherd shifted Texas Instruments away from consumer products and focused on semiconductor technology.
He was the company's chief engineer and chief operating officer before being named as chief executive officer in 1969. He was named as the firm's CEO in 1976, serving in that role until 1988.
Author Michael Malone described Shepherd as someone who "drove T.I. into world leadership not only in semiconductors, but took the chip industry into consumer electronics with calculators, digital watches and toys where Texas Instruments dominated even companies like Hewlett-Packard and Intel".
Post-retirement
Following his retirement, he and his wife moved to their ranch in Quitman, TexasQuitman, Texas
Quitman is a city in Wood County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,030 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Wood County. It is most notable for being the birthplace of American Academy Award winning actress Sissy Spacek. The city's slogan is "Come grow with us." It was...
, where they raised longhorn cattle
Longhorn cattle
Longhorn cattle are a long-horned brown and white breed of beef cattle originating from Craven in the north of England. They have a white patch along the line of their spine and under their bellies....
. As described in his obituary in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Shepherd was "an engineer to the core" even in retirement, taking responsibility for construction of buildings, dams and fire protection equipment on the ranch.
Shepherd died at age 86 on February 4, 2009 at his ranch in Quitman due to complications of pulmonary fibrosis. He was survived by his wife, Mary Alice, two daughters and three granddaughters.