Tech community mourns the loss of Intel co-founder Gordon Moore

In memoriam: Intel reports that co-founder and semiconductor pioneer Gordon Moore passed away at his home yesterday, March 24. Moore, whose list of contributions spans everything from new technology to nature conservation, helped to shape the technological landscape that we know and rely upon today. He went on to create and support advancements in preservation, patient care, and scientific discovery along with his wife of 72 years, Betty Irene Whitaker Moore.

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and Intel announced Moore’s death following his peaceful passing at his home in Hawaii. He is survived by his wife, Betty, his sons Kenneth and Steven, and four grandchildren.

— Intel (@intel) March 25, 2023

Moore’s list of credits is a long one spanning decades of technological innovation. After graduating from the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University in 1958, Moore joined Fairchild Semiconductor, eventually becoming the research & development division director. During this period, Moore observed that the number of transistors in an integrated circuit (IC) doubled about every two years, now commonly known as “Moore’s Law.”

In July 1968, Moore and another colleague founded NM Technologies, which would later become the Intel corporation. Moore served as Intel’s executive vice president until becoming the company’s president in 1975. He later served as Intel’s chairman and chief executive officer and was named Intel’s chairman emeritus in 1997 until his official retirement in 2006.

In addition to his contributions to the technology landscape, Moore has a long history of philanthropic activity. In 2000, he and his wife founded the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The Foundation sponsors projects in various subjects, including astronomy, biology, data-driven discovery, and marine microbiology. Since its first grant in 2001, the Foundation has funded 3,724 science, environmental, Bay-area preservation, and patient care grants totaling more than $4.9 billion.

Moore has a collection of accolades and recognitions almost too long to list. In 2022, Intel renamed its Ronler Acres campus in Oregon to Gordon Moore Park at Ronler Acres. Its RA4 building was also renamed The Moore Center, and the café is now known as The Gordon.

The renaming followed an impressive list of Moore’s lifelong achievements and recognitions. He was inducted into the Computer History Museum in 1998. In 2002, Moore received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George Bush. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers awarded the silicon pioneer its prestigious IEEE Medal of Honor in 2008.

“Gordon Moore defined the technology industry through his insight and vision,” eulogized Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger. “He was instrumental in revealing the power of transistors and inspired technologists and entrepreneurs across the decades. We at Intel remain inspired by Moore’s Law and intend to pursue it until the periodic table is exhausted. Gordon’s vision lives on as our true north as we use the power of technology to improve the lives of every person on Earth. My career and much of my life took shape within the possibilities fueled by Gordon’s leadership at the helm of Intel, and I am humbled by the honor and responsibility to carry his legacy forward.”