Jack Kilby, inventor of integrated circuit, dead at 81 - Jun. 21, 2005

The man who made as big a contribution to American industry as Thomas Edison or Alexander Bell died on Tuesday. Too few people know his name.

"Kilby, 81, made the discovery 47 years ago, when, as a recently hired engineer at Texas Instruments Inc. (Research), he was left to work alone in a laboratory while most of his 7,500 colleagues were taking a company-wide summer vacation leave.

As a new hire, Kilby did not qualify to take a vacation in August 1958.

"It was a very quiet time and he got a lot done," said Pat Weber, 65, a long-time colleague and friend of Kilby's".