Jay Last
Encyclopedia
Jay T. Last is a silicon pioneer and a member of the so-called Traitorous Eight
that founded Silicon Valley
.
He was born in 1929 in Butler, Pennsylvania
. He earned his bachelor's degree
in Optics
at the University of Rochester
in 1951 and his Ph.D.
in physics from MIT
in 1956.
He worked at the Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory
division of Beckman Instruments, and left the company along with the rest of what Shockley termed the Traitorous Eight to form the influential Fairchild Semiconductor
corporation.
Last later co-founded Amelco with Traitorous Eight alumni Jean Hoerni
and Sheldon Roberts
. Amelco was acquired by Teledyne
as one of its earliest purchases, and Last served as a Teledyne vice-president until his retirement.
He founded The Archaeological Conservancy
in 1980, which has preserved and protected over 150 archeological sites in 28 states in the U.S.
.
He is president of Hillcrest Press in Santa Anna and Beverly Hills
which publishes fine art books on the history of American painting. Last himself has authored or co-authored a number of art books.
In May, 2011, the California Historical Society
in San Francisco gave the “Legends of California Award” to Last, 81, and others of the Fairchild Eight. Looking back in advance of the award ceremony, Last said of the departure from Shockley: "'It wasn’t scary. ... When you are in your late 20s you don’t know enough to be scared, we just did it. We just knew what we had to do and we did it.' Their goal was to make silicon transistors, which Shockley had abandoned in favor of another idea he unsuccessfully pursued," the report continued. "All integrated circuits today are successors of the first Fairchild chips, Last [also] said."
Traitorous Eight
The Traitorous Eight, as they became known, are eight men who left Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory to form Fairchild Semiconductor in 1957. More neutral terms include the "Fairchild Eight" and the "Shockley Eight." They have sometimes been called "Fairchildren," although this term has been also...
that founded Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
.
He was born in 1929 in Butler, Pennsylvania
Butler, Pennsylvania
The city of Butler is the county seat of Butler County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, situated north of Pittsburgh. The population was 15,121 at the 2000 census.- History :...
. He earned his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Optics
Optics
Optics is the branch of physics which involves the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behavior of visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light...
at the University of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
in 1951 and his Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in physics from MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
in 1956.
He worked at the Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory
Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory
Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory, the primary lab of the Shockley Transistor Company, was the first company to work on silicon semiconductor devices in what came to be known as Silicon Valley. It was purchased by Clevite in 1960, and officially closed shortly after being sold to ITT in 1968...
division of Beckman Instruments, and left the company along with the rest of what Shockley termed the Traitorous Eight to form the influential Fairchild Semiconductor
Fairchild Semiconductor
Fairchild Semiconductor International, Inc. is an American semiconductor company based in San Jose, California. Founded in 1957, it was a pioneer in transistor and integrated circuit manufacturing...
corporation.
Last later co-founded Amelco with Traitorous Eight alumni Jean Hoerni
Jean Hoerni
Jean Amédée Hoerni was a silicon transistor pioneer and a member of the Traitorous Eight. He was remembered for developing the planar process....
and Sheldon Roberts
Sheldon Roberts
C. Sheldon Roberts is a semiconductor pioneer, and member of the Traitorous Eight who founded Silicon Valley.He earned a Bachelor's degree in metallurgical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1948, and a Master's degree in 1949 and Ph.D...
. Amelco was acquired by Teledyne
Teledyne
Teledyne Technologies Incorporated is an industrial conglomerate primarily based in the United States but with global operations. It was founded in 1960, as Teledyne, Inc., by Henry Singleton and George Kozmetsky....
as one of its earliest purchases, and Last served as a Teledyne vice-president until his retirement.
He founded The Archaeological Conservancy
The Archaeological Conservancy
The Archaeological Conservancy is a 5013 non-profit organization that acquires and preserves archaeological sites in the United States. Whereas nearly every other nation protects all archaeological sites within its borders as part of its national patrimony, in the United States archaeological...
in 1980, which has preserved and protected over 150 archeological sites in 28 states in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
He is president of Hillcrest Press in Santa Anna and Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
which publishes fine art books on the history of American painting. Last himself has authored or co-authored a number of art books.
In May, 2011, the California Historical Society
California Historical Society
The California Historical Society is California's official state historical society and is located in San Francisco, California at 678 Mission Street -History and collections:...
in San Francisco gave the “Legends of California Award” to Last, 81, and others of the Fairchild Eight. Looking back in advance of the award ceremony, Last said of the departure from Shockley: "'It wasn’t scary. ... When you are in your late 20s you don’t know enough to be scared, we just did it. We just knew what we had to do and we did it.' Their goal was to make silicon transistors, which Shockley had abandoned in favor of another idea he unsuccessfully pursued," the report continued. "All integrated circuits today are successors of the first Fairchild chips, Last [also] said."