The Making of Silicon Valley, 1930-1970

This talk will explore the formation of Silicon Valley as an industrial district, from its beginnings as the home of a few radio enterprises that operated in the shadow of bigger East Coast firms like RCA through its establishment as a center of the electronics industry and leading producer of vacuum tubes and semiconductors.

Dr. Lecuyer will argue that the emergence and growth of Silicon Valley was made possible by the development of unique manufacturing, product engineering, and management competencies. Entrepreneurs learned to integrate invention, design, manufacturing, and sales logistics, and developed incentives to attract and retain a skilled and motivated workforce. This expertise enabled local firms to adjust rapidly to changes in the marketplace.

Taking advantage of the growing military demand for advanced electronic components, Silicon Valley corporations expanded rapidly during World War II and the Cold War. When the Department of Defense cut back its component expenditures and radically altered its procurement policies in the early 1960s, they redirected their technologies and organizations to commercial markets. As a result, they penetrated a wide range of industrial sectors, transforming the San Francisco Peninsula into a major technological and commercial center.