Oral History of Pat Gelsinger, part 1 of 2

Interviewed by David C. Brock and Doug Fairbairn on 2019-01-09 in Mountain View, CA X8899.2019
© Computer History Museum

In this interview, Pat Gelsinger discusses his family background and youth in a Pennsylvania farming community, his introduction to electronics at Lincoln Tech, and his recruitment from there to Intel in 1980. He recounts the development of his career at Intel, moving from testing and reliability into microprocessor design, while continuing his education at Santa Clara University and then at Stanford. Gelsinger details his leadership roles in the development of the Intel 80386 and 80486 microprocessors, the context for this work, and his interactions with key figures at Intel. He describes the rivalry between Intel’s CISC approach to microprocessor design and the RISC approach championed by his Stanford advisor, John Hennessey, as well as his professional mentorship relationship with Intel’s Andy Grove. The interview concludes with Gelsinger’s discussion of his tenure at Intel’s first Chief Technology Officer.

* Note: Transcripts represent what was said in the interview. However, to enhance meaning or add clarification, interviewees have the opportunity to modify this text afterward. This may result in discrepancies between the transcript and the video. Please refer to the transcript for further information - http://www.computerhistory.org/collec...

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Catalog Number: 102781030
Lot Number: X8899.2019