ABSTRACT OF TALK
Charlie Sporck examines the genesis and history of the semiconductor industry in California's Silicon Valley. He relays personal stories of his experiences with the people and personalities behind the advancements and setbacks that brought Silicon Valley into being.

BACKGROUND OF SPEAKER:
Charles E. Sporck, born and raised in a small town in New York’s Adirondack Mountains, graduated from Cornell University as a mechanical engineer and went to work in manufacturing for General Electric Corporation. Recruited by Fairchild Semiconductor in Mountain View, Calif., Sporck began as a production manager and rose to vice president and general manager. It was during this period that both the planar process and the integrated circuit were developed at Fairchild by Jean Hoerni and Bob Noyce. These developments, together with the manufacturing equipment and organization, became the foundation of Silicon Valley. After leaving Fairchild in the late 1960s, Sporck distinguished himself as CEO of National Semiconductor, where, under his leadership, the company became a multi-billion dollar giant. He was an active participant in the formation of the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) and SEMATECH. Sporck, with Richard L. Molay authored "Spinoff: A Personal History of the Industry that Changed the World," a book on the personalities and history of the Silicon Valley semiconductor industry.

DIRECTIONS
>From San Francisco:
- take Freeway 101 north to Highway 380
- take Highway 380 to Highway 280
- take Freeway 280 south toward San Jose
- exit at Page Mill Road and make a left turn, toward Palo Alto
- make a right turn at Coyote Hill Road
- Xerox PARC is on the left, just past the crest of the hill
- Pake Auditorium is located to the left of the main entrance down the stairs

>From San Jose:
- take Freeway 280 north toward San Francisco
- exit at Page Mill Road and make a right turn, toward Palo Alto
- make a right turn at Coyote Hill Road
- Xerox PARC is on the left, just past the crest of the hill
- Pake Auditorium is located to the left of the main entrance down the stairs

>From Highway 101:
- take Highway 101 north towards San Francisco
- take the Oregon Expressway exit headed west
- Oregon Expressway turns into Page Mill Road after El Camino
- Follow Page Mill Road across Foothill Expressway
- Turn left off Page Mill Road onto Coyote Hill Road
- Xerox PARC is on the left, just past the crest of the hill
- Pake Auditorium is located to the left of the main entrance down the stairs

NOTE: It is a little tricky coming from this way. The left hand turn is not at a light or stop sign, but a jog in the road not too long after crossing Foothill Expressway.