Traitorous Eight
The Traitorous Eight are eight men who left
Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory to form
Fairchild Semiconductor in 1957. This derogatory term was used by
William Shockley, director of Shockley Labs; although more neutral terms include the "Fairchild Eight," "Shockley Eight." They have sometimes been called "Fairchildren," although this term has been also used to refer to Fairchild alumni.
Encyclopedia
The
Traitorous Eight are eight men who left
Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory to form
Fairchild Semiconductor in 1957. This derogatory term was used by
William Shockley, director of Shockley Labs; although more neutral terms include the "
Fairchild Eight," "
Shockley Eight." They have sometimes been called "
Fairchildren," although this term has been also used to refer to Fairchild alumni.
History
These eight men left because they did not agree with William Shockley's managerial style. Specifically, he wanted the research done his way and expected a certain result instead of letting the research guide them. Shockley envisioned the operation of the Laboratory as if the researchers were the Knights of the Round Table and he was King Arthur.
The eight employees went to Arnold Beckman and asked him to replace Shockley. Beckman tried to find a new manager and left Shockley as a director with limited powers. As the search dragged on, it became apparent that Beckman could not find a replacement so he restored Shockley's responsibilities. The eight men then resigned and signed a research contract with
Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation to form
Fairchild Semiconductor.
Their entrepreneurial desires did not end with Fairchild. Like many other Fairchild employees, seven of the eight went on to found various spinoff companies . . The most successful were
Robert Noyce and
Gordon Moore, founders of
Intel, and Eugene Kleiner, co-founder of the Kleiner Perkins venture capital firm. Additionally, Sheldon Roberts, Jean Hoerni and Jay Last founded what later became Teledyne, while Julius Blank co-founded Xicor.
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