Bob Widlar
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Robert J. Widlar (November, 1937-February 27, 1991) was a brilliant electronics pioneer who made his fame with Fairchild Semiconductor in the 1960s. He designed four major products for Fairchild, including the now legendary μA709 op-amp.
He was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, taking an interest in electronics at a young age. By the age of 15 he was repairing radio and television sets.
He entered the Air Force as a technical instructor in 1958. In February of the next year, he began to take classes at the University of Colorado's Extension Center. During this time, he was working for Ball Brothers in Boulder, Colorado desigining linear and digital circuits.
He successfully completed all of his studies at the University of Colorado and graduated in 1962 with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. He continued to work for Ball Brothers for another year and left for Mountain View, California in 1963 to work for Fairchild Semiconductor.
He died in February 1991 from a heart attack while jogging near his home in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
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