How Robert Noyce ’49 survived his first invention
In a wonderful February 6, 2013, blog post on theatlantic.com titled And Now Let Us Praise, and Consider the Absurd Luck of, Famous Men, Alexis C. Madrigal, prompted by the debut of the PBS show “Silicon Valley,” writes what she calls “A lesson about the success of Great Men from Intel co-founder Bob Noyce's life story.”
Reflecting on Noyce’s early adventures in attempting to fly a self-built, self-powered glider from the roof of a Grinnell, Iowa barn when Noyce was twelve years old, she asks: “Was Noyce's success accidental?” Perhaps partly, but Grinnell, Iowa, and Grinnell College both had a lot to do with it.
