Gordon Moore
Co-founder of Intel and proposer of Moore's law.
Gordon Earle Moore (January 3, 1929 – March 24, 2023) was an American businessman, scientist, and engineer who co-founded Intel Corporation and later served as its chairman emeritus. He is famous for Moore's law, the observation that the number of transistors on an integrated circuit roughly doubles every two years—a forecast that became a benchmark for the semiconductor industry and a key driver of technological progress.
Moore was born in 1929, the second son of Walter Harold Moore, a constable and later undersheriff in San Mateo County, and Florence Almira "Mira" Williamson, a homemaker. When he started school in 1935, teachers noted his introverted nature. In 1939, his father's promotion moved the family to Redwood City, California. A chemistry set he received for Christmas in 1940 sparked his ambition to become a chemist. He attended Sequoia High School from 1942 to 1946, where he played sports. After a year studying chemistry at San José State College (1946–1947), he transferred to the University of California, Berkeley, earning a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1950. He then earned a PhD in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology in 1954, followed by postdoctoral research at Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory from 1953 to 1956.
Moore joined William Shockley at the Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory but left with the "traitorous eight" when Sherman Fairchild backed them to form Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation. In 1965, while director of R&D at Fairchild, Moore was asked by *Electronics Magazine* to predict the semiconductor industry's next decade. In an article published April 19, 1965, he noted that the number of components in dense integrated circuits had been doubling annually and predicted this would continue for at least ten years. In 1975, he revised the rate to roughly every two years. Carver Mead popularized the term "Moore's law," and the prediction became a target for miniaturization across the industry.
In July 1968, Moore and Robert Noyce founded NM Electronics, later renamed Intel Corporation. Moore served as executive vice president until 1975, then president. He became chairman and CEO in April 1979, holding those roles until April 1987, when he remained chairman. He was named chairman emeritus in 1997.
Quick Facts
- Birth Name
- Gordon Earle Moore
- Birth Date
- 1929-01-03
- Death Date
- 2023-03-24
- Death Place
- Waimea, Hawaii, U.S.
- Predecessor
- Robert Noyce
- Successor
- Andy Grove
- Known For
- Co-founder of Intel / Moore's law / Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
- Fields
- Entrepreneur / Electrical engineering
- Workplaces
- Intel / Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation / California Institute of Technology / Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
- Education
- San Jose State University / University of California, Berkeley (BS) / California Institute of Technology (PhD)
- Thesis Title
- I. Infrared Studies of Nitrous Acid, The Chloramines and Nitrogen Dioxide / II. Observations Concerning the Photochemical Decomposition of Nitric Oxide
- Thesis Url
- https: · www.proquest.com/docview/302028299
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Gordon Moore was born in 1929 as the second son of Walter Harold Moore, a constable and later undersheriff in San Mateo County, and Florence Almira Williamson, a homemaker. He received a chemistry set as a Christmas gift in 1940, inspiring him to become a chemist. Moore studied at Sequoia High School from 1942 to 1946, then attended San José State College and the University of California, Berkeley, earning a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1950. He earned a PhD in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology in 1954 and conducted postdoctoral research at Johns Hopkins University from 1953 to 1956.
Moore joined William Shockley at the Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory but left with the 'traitorous eight' to form Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation. In 1965, while director of R&D at Fairchild, he predicted in Electronics Magazine that the number of components in a dense integrated circuit had doubled annually and would continue for at least ten years; he revised the forecast to every two years in 1975. In July 1968, Moore and Robert Noyce founded NM Electronics, later Intel Corporation, where Moore served as executive vice president, president, chairman and CEO, and chairman emeritus. Under their leadership, Intel pioneered computer memory, integrated circuits, and microprocessor design.
Reader's Guide
Gordon Moore's significance lies in his dual role as a visionary technologist and a philanthropist. His 1965 observation, later known as Moore's law, became a self-fulfilling prophecy that guided the semiconductor industry's relentless miniaturization and performance gains, fueling the information revolution. As co-founder of Intel, he helped create the microprocessors that powered personal computing and the internet age. Beyond technology, Moore and his wife established the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation in 2000 with a gift of about $5 billion, focusing on environmental conservation, science, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Their philanthropy included a $600 million donation to Caltech, the largest gift to a higher education institution at the time, and major support for the Thirty Meter Telescope. Moore's legacy is that of a scientist-entrepreneur whose prediction shaped modern electronics and whose generosity advanced scientific research and conservation worldwide.
Did You Know?
- Moore received a chemistry set as a Christmas gift in 1940, which inspired him to become a chemist.
- He was one of the 'traitorous eight' who left Shockley Semiconductor to found Fairchild Semiconductor.
- Intel's first business plan was one page, double spaced, with many typos.
- In 2022, Intel renamed its Oregon campus 'Gordon Moore Park' and a building 'Moore Center' after him.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Gordon Moore?
Gordon Earle Moore was an American scientist, engineer, and businessman best known for co-founding Intel Corporation and formulating the principle now called Moore's Law. He lived from 1929 to 2023 and is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the semiconductor era.
What is Moore's Law?
Moore's Law is the observation that the number of transistors fitting on a microchip roughly doubles every two years. Gordon Moore first articulated this trend in the early 1960s, and it went on to serve as a guiding benchmark for the entire semiconductor industry.
What was Gordon Moore's role at Intel?
Moore was one of the original co-founders of Intel Corporation in 1968 and later held the position of chairman emeritus. His leadership helped shape Intel into a dominant force in the personal computing and microprocessor markets.
Why is Gordon Moore considered important to the tech industry?
His prediction about transistor density gave engineers and investors a reliable roadmap for progress, effectively driving decades of innovation in computing. Without that guiding principle, the pace of advancement in semiconductors likely would have been far slower.
When did Gordon Moore pass away?
Gordon Moore died on March 24, 2023, at the age of 94. His death marked the end of an era for the semiconductor industry he helped build from the ground up.
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