- Packard, David
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▪ 1997U.S. entrepreneur and electrical engineer (b. Sept. 7, 1912, Pueblo, Colo.—d. March 26, 1996, Stanford, Calif.), was a cofounder of the Hewlett-Packard Co., a leading manufacturer of electronic measurement equipment, computers, and computer printers. Packard studied electrical engineering at Stanford University (B.A., 1934), where he met William Hewlett, and returned there for graduate study in 1938 after working for General Electric. With a loan of $538, Hewlett and Packard launched their company in 1939 in a rented garage in Palo Alto, Calif. The site became an official state landmark and "the birthplace of Silicon Valley." Packard handled business and administrative matters, and Hewlett was responsible for product design and manufacturing. The company's growth paralleled the booming electronics sector of the U.S. defense industry and was fueled by the move from the manufacture of electronic instruments to the production of calculators, computers, and computer printers. The firm eventually employed over 100,000 workers and produced revenues of $31 billion in 1995. Packard's renowned management philosophy, the "HP Way," emphasized the creation of an organizational environment in which workers could show initiative and creativity. He also advocated that executives employ "management by walking around" shop floors and office corridors. Packard headed the company as president, chief executive officer, or chairman of the board from its incorporation in 1947 until 1993. Although semiretired during the 1980s, he returned in 1991 to steer the company through a financial slump. He also left the company (1969-71) to serve as deputy secretary of defense in the administration of Pres. Richard Nixon. Throughout the 1970s and '80s, he was a prominent adviser to Republican administrations on defense procurement and management. He was also a major contributor to conservative institutions and causes. Packard received numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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▪ American engineerborn Sept. 7, 1912, Pueblo, Colo., U.S.died March 26, 1996, Stanford, Calif.American electrical engineer and entrepreneur who cofounded the Hewlett-Packard Company, a manufacturer of computers, computer printers, and analytic and measuring equipment.After receiving his B.A. from Stanford University in 1934, Packard worked for the General Electric Company in Schenectady, N.Y. In 1938 he returned to Stanford, where he earned the degree of electrical engineer, and in 1939 he and William R. Hewlett established their firm in Packard's garage with capital of $538. The company, in which Packard proved to be an expert administrator and Hewlett provided many technical innovations, grew into the world's largest producer of electronic testing and measurement devices. It also became a major producer of personal computers and laser and inkjet printers. Packard served as Hewlett-Packard's president from 1947 to 1964, chief executive officer from 1964 to 1968, and chairman of the board from 1964 to 1968 and from 1972 to 1993.In 1968 President Richard M. Nixon appointed Packard deputy to Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird. Packard served until 1971, when he resigned and returned to Hewlett-Packard the next year as chairman of the board. In the 1970s and '80s Packard was a prominent adviser to the White House on defense procurement and management.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
