Sheldon Weinig
Encyclopedia
Dr. Sheldon Weinig was born in New York City
. He studied at Columbia University
, where he received his doctorate and served as a Professor before answering the entrepreneurial call. In 1957, he founded Materials Research Corporation
(MRC). Though their initial interest was the purity and characterization of metals, MRC would grow to become a global manufacturer and supplier of highly specialized semiconductor materials and equipment.
, a magnet school
in New York.
After completing high school, he served in the United States Army for two years and received his education on the GI Bill and was awarded his doctorate in metallurgy from Columbia University.
Dr. Weinig served as a Professor at Cooper Union and NYU for several years and then went on to found Materials Research Corporation
.
In the technological arena, MRC consistently introduced leading-edge (some say bleeding-edge) manufacturing equipment to the semiconductor industry. Their electronic materials set the pace for the industry. Innovative business methods led the company to invent equipment for their own use. In turn, some of this equipment would have commercial value and become products.
As with any business, MRC had its share of economic ups and downs, and Dr. Weinig met each of those challenges head-on, keeping the company in business for over 30 years.
Under Dr. Weinig's stewardship, MRC was one of the most progressive workplaces in Rockland County, NY and their employee benefits were well-known and spoken of at other companies. He designed the company benefits program around the idea of "giving as much as we can afford, not the least we could get away with." Dr. Weinig explained that he wanted his employees to be able to concentrate on their work instead of having to worry about job security or their family's health.
In addition to a generous medical and dental benefits package, MRC was one of the earlier companies to implement a 401K match.
But two benefits in particular had the distinctive Weinig stamp: lifetime employment and the educational policy. The idea of lifetime employment was that you would always have a job, no matter what was going on with the cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry. When the industry was on the down side, MRC canceled all contracted services such as security, custodial, and landscaping and put employees in the slow areas to work in the gardens and such. MRC offered a lifetime employment plan for as long as the company could bear it and eventually, it had to be discontinued after 25 years.
MRC's educational policy under Dr. Weinig was one line: "you pass, we pay." Any major area of study was open to any employee. An engineer could study English, an Administrative Assistant could study computer science, and a machinist could study Journalism. Dr. Weinig would say that he wanted his employees "thinking in their off hours." He felt that in the field of semiconductors, an Engineering degree would be obsolete within five years.
1984:Inducted into the National Academy of Engineering
for his technological contributions to the field of electronic materials
1990:Elected to the International Technology Institute’s Hall of Fame for Engineering, Science and Technology
1988:Awarded the rank of Chevalier dans l’Ordre National de la Legion d’Honneur by the Government of France
He also received three honorary doctorates from St. Thomas Aquinas (law), Adelphi University (Science) and the State university of New York at Stony Brook. (Science)
Dr. Weinig remained with Sony nearly 7 years as Vice Chairman for Engineering and Manufacturing of Sony America. He retired from Sony in 1995 and has been an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University and SUNY, Stony Brook where he teaches a bridge course between academia and the industrial world.
as well as the State University of New York at Stony Brook
. He serves on several boards and still enjoys tennis and flyfishing. fly fishing.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He studied at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, where he received his doctorate and served as a Professor before answering the entrepreneurial call. In 1957, he founded Materials Research Corporation
Materials Research Corporation
thumb|rightMaterials Research Corporation was a global manufacturer and supplier of highly specialized semiconductor materials and equipment.-Timeline:*1957: Materials Research Corporation founded by Dr. Sheldon Weinig and Dr...
(MRC). Though their initial interest was the purity and characterization of metals, MRC would grow to become a global manufacturer and supplier of highly specialized semiconductor materials and equipment.
Early years
Sheldon Weinig attended Stuyvesant High SchoolStuyvesant High School
Stuyvesant High School , commonly referred to as Stuy , is a New York City public high school that specializes in mathematics and science. The school opened in 1904 on Manhattan's East Side and moved to a new building in Battery Park City in 1992. Stuyvesant is noted for its strong academic...
, a magnet school
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
in New York.
After completing high school, he served in the United States Army for two years and received his education on the GI Bill and was awarded his doctorate in metallurgy from Columbia University.
Dr. Weinig served as a Professor at Cooper Union and NYU for several years and then went on to found Materials Research Corporation
Materials Research Corporation
thumb|rightMaterials Research Corporation was a global manufacturer and supplier of highly specialized semiconductor materials and equipment.-Timeline:*1957: Materials Research Corporation founded by Dr. Sheldon Weinig and Dr...
.
Innovator and Leader
Sheldon Weinig's innovative nature spanned several domains beyond metallurgy. He understood people, finance, and international relations.In the technological arena, MRC consistently introduced leading-edge (some say bleeding-edge) manufacturing equipment to the semiconductor industry. Their electronic materials set the pace for the industry. Innovative business methods led the company to invent equipment for their own use. In turn, some of this equipment would have commercial value and become products.
As with any business, MRC had its share of economic ups and downs, and Dr. Weinig met each of those challenges head-on, keeping the company in business for over 30 years.
Under Dr. Weinig's stewardship, MRC was one of the most progressive workplaces in Rockland County, NY and their employee benefits were well-known and spoken of at other companies. He designed the company benefits program around the idea of "giving as much as we can afford, not the least we could get away with." Dr. Weinig explained that he wanted his employees to be able to concentrate on their work instead of having to worry about job security or their family's health.
In addition to a generous medical and dental benefits package, MRC was one of the earlier companies to implement a 401K match.
But two benefits in particular had the distinctive Weinig stamp: lifetime employment and the educational policy. The idea of lifetime employment was that you would always have a job, no matter what was going on with the cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry. When the industry was on the down side, MRC canceled all contracted services such as security, custodial, and landscaping and put employees in the slow areas to work in the gardens and such. MRC offered a lifetime employment plan for as long as the company could bear it and eventually, it had to be discontinued after 25 years.
MRC's educational policy under Dr. Weinig was one line: "you pass, we pay." Any major area of study was open to any employee. An engineer could study English, an Administrative Assistant could study computer science, and a machinist could study Journalism. Dr. Weinig would say that he wanted his employees "thinking in their off hours." He felt that in the field of semiconductors, an Engineering degree would be obsolete within five years.
Awards and recognition
1980:Awarded the SEMMY Award, by the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials Institute1984:Inducted into the National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
for his technological contributions to the field of electronic materials
1990:Elected to the International Technology Institute’s Hall of Fame for Engineering, Science and Technology
1988:Awarded the rank of Chevalier dans l’Ordre National de la Legion d’Honneur by the Government of France
He also received three honorary doctorates from St. Thomas Aquinas (law), Adelphi University (Science) and the State university of New York at Stony Brook. (Science)
Sale to Sony
In 1989, Sony acquired MRC. The U.S. Government objected to the sale but the company needed a large infusion of capital and no American-owned company was prepared to make the investment to purchase MRC and keep it (and its technology) intact. Sony, a company utilizing thin films in many areas from semiconductor manufacture to tapes and CD's understood the tremendous strength that MRC had in thin film technology and acquired the company.Dr. Weinig remained with Sony nearly 7 years as Vice Chairman for Engineering and Manufacturing of Sony America. He retired from Sony in 1995 and has been an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University and SUNY, Stony Brook where he teaches a bridge course between academia and the industrial world.
Retirement from Industry
Dr. Weinig retired as Vice Chairman of Engineering and Manufacturing of Sony America in 1996 and became an Adjunct Professor at Columbia UniversityColumbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
as well as the State University of New York at Stony Brook
State University of New York at Stony Brook
The State University of New York at Stony Brook, also known as Stony Brook University, is a public research university located in Stony Brook, New York, on the North Shore of Long Island, about east of Manhattan....
. He serves on several boards and still enjoys tennis and flyfishing. fly fishing.