C. Lester Hogan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lester_Hogan

Clarence Lester "Les" Hogan (February 8, 1920 – August 12, 2008) was an American physicist and a pioneer in microwave and semiconductor technology.

From the 1930 federal census, Lester C. Hogan lived with his mother, father, and sisters at Great Falls, Cascade County, Montana. The family at the time consisted of:

• Head Clarence L Hogan 35
• Wife Bessie Hogan 35
• Daughter Cleo K Hogan 13
• Daughter Helen M Hogan 11
• Son Lester C Hogan 10
• Daughter Dorthy L Hogan 8

Obituary for Clarence Lester Hogan:

C. Lester Hogan, a pioneer in the electronics industry and inventor of the first microwave gyrator, died at his home in Atherton on August 12, 2008. He was 88.

Mr. Hogan was part of the generation of scientists who emerged after World War II and made the discoveries that became the computer revolution. After 10 years as a top executive with Motorola, he became president and chief executive officer at Fairchild Camera & Instrument Corporation. He remained with Fairchild until his retirement in 1985.

Born in Great Falls, Montana, Mr. Hogan earned a degree in chemical engineering from Montana State University. During World War II, he served at Pearl Harbor as officer in charge of acoustic torpedoes. After the war, he earned his master's degree and doctorate in physics from Lehigh University. He taught at Lehigh until 1950, when he accepted a job with Bell Laboratories. While at Bell he invented the microwave gyrator, a break-through device that allowed electric devices to be made smaller.

In 1953, he became an associate professor of applied physics at Harvard, and in 1957 he accepted the Gordon McKay professorship of applied physics at that university. Motorola recruited him in 1958 to become general manager of its semiconductor operation. During his years with Motorola, he expanded its number of employees around the world from 300 to 17,000, according to an article in the New York Times. During his years as president of Fairchild, sales grew from $198 million to $384 million. The net earnings of the corporation grew by 12 percent, according to Mr. Hogan's resume.

Mr. Hogan served as a member of the board of directors of several corporations and was active on scientific and government advisory committees. He received many awards, including the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers' Frederik Philips Gold Medal in 1975 and the American Academy of Achievement Golden Plate Award in 1969. In 1980, Electronics magazine named him one of the 10 greatest innovators of the previous 50 years. UC Berkeley named the C. Lester Hogan Chair of Computer Science in his honor.

Speaking of her father, his daughter, Cheryl Lea Hogan, said that from him she "learned about sound, telescopes, microscopes, cameras, light, poetry, math, cooking, magnets, gardening, how to laugh, and how to be present in the moment."

Mr. Hogan lived in Atherton for 40 years. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Audrey; his daughter, Cheryl Lea Hogan of San Francisco; and two grandsons.