CHICAGO – October 2, 2006 – Eta Kappa Nu (HKN) presented Victoria Smith Downing, executive director of the Kilby Foundation, with the HKN Eminent Member Certificate, awarded to Jack Kilby, who passed away in June 2005. Ms. Smith Downing accepted this recognition on behalf of the Kilby Foundation. The presentation took place last week at the Chicago Club at a luncheon hosted by Dr. B. Joseph White, president of the University of Illinois, where Mr. Kilby earned a degree in electrical engineering.

Since its inception in 1950, the Eminent Member designation acknowledges the highest membership classification of Eta Kappa Nu. Bestowed by the Board of Governors, this distinction is received by only a select few with attainments and contributions to society through leadership in the fields of electrical and computer engineering. Previous recipients include Harry W. Mergler, Tsuneo Nakahara, John Bardeen, Andrew Viterbi, Joseph Bordogna, Irwin Jacobs, Bernard M. Gordon, and Steven Sample.

Don Christiansen, chair of the HKN Eminent Member Committee, presented the certificate to Ms. Smith Downing. Also present at the luncheon were Paras Baxi (vice president of the Alpha Chapter at the University of Illinois), Roger Plummer (HKN executive director), Dr. Richard Blahut (head of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Illinois), Barbara Blahut, Jeff Sands (associate dean of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Illinois), Kathy Ricker (HKN administrative director), Barry Sullivan (editor of THE BRIDGE), Melissa Swartz (HKN project coordinator), Meg Cline (University of Illinois Development Office), and Mark Hannah (Kilby Laureate).

HKN Executive Director Roger Plummer stated, "We are honored to have gifted inventors such as Jack Kilby among the ranks of our Eminent Members. Laying the foundation for the modern era of microelectronics, he made high-speed computers and large-capacity memories of the information age possible. We remember him and his work again today by presenting the HKN Eminent Member Certificate to the Kilby Foundation in his memory."

Jack Kilby

Mr. Kilby grew up in Great Bend, Kansas. With B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from the Universities of Illinois and Wisconsin, respectively, he began his career in 1947 with the Centralab Division of Globe Union, Inc., in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, developing ceramic-base silk-screen circuits for consumer electronic products.

In 1958, he joined TI in Dallas, Texas. During the summer of that year, working with borrowed and improvised equipment, he conceived and built the first electronic circuit, on which all of the components, both active and passive, were fabricated in a single piece of semiconductor material half the size of a paper clip. The successful laboratory demonstration of that first simple microchip on September 12, 1958, made history.

Jack Kilby went on to pioneer military, industrial, and commercial applications of microchip technology. He headed teams that built both the first military system and the first computer incorporating integrated circuits. He later co-invented both the hand-held calculator and the thermal printer that was used in portable data terminals.

In 1970, he took a leave of absence from TI to work as an independent inventor. He explored, among other subjects, the use of silicon technology for generating electrical power from sunlight. From 1978 to 1984, he held the position of Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering at Texas A&M University.

Jack Kilby was the recipient of two of the nation's most prestigious honors in science and engineering. In 1970, in a White House ceremony, he received the National Medal of Science. In 1982, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, taking his place alongside Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and the Wright brothers in the annals of American innovation.

Mr. Kilby held more than 60 U.S. patents. He was a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). He was awarded the Franklin Institute's Stuart Ballantine Medal, the NAE's Vladimir Zworykin Award, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Holley Medal, the IEEE's Medal of Honor, the Charles Stark Draper Prize administered by the NAE, the Cledo Brunetti Award, and the David Sarnoff Award. On the 30th anniversary of the invention of the integrated circuit, the governor of Texas dedicated an official Texas historical marker near the site of the TI laboratory where Mr. Kilby did his work.

In 2000, Mr. Kilby was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his part in the invention of the integrated circuit.

Mr. Kilby passed away on June 20, 2005, in Dallas following a brief battle with cancer.

President Joseph White, Mark Hanna, Victoria Smith Downing, Don Christiansen, Roger Plummer

For more information, please contact Lisa Reyes at lreyes@hkn.org or +1-312-559-3325 or visit www.hkn.org.

About Eminent Member Award
Eminent Member is the highest membership classification of Eta Kappa Nu. Established in 1950, the Eminent Member Award is conferred by the Board of Governors upon those select few whose attainments and contributions to society through leadership in the fields of electrical and computer engineering have resulted in significant benefits to humankind. These attainments and contributions may be in the areas of corporate management, government, education, or professional society activities. To nominate an individual for this award, contact Kathy Ricker, HKN administrative director, at kathy@hkn.org.

About Eta Kappa Nu (HKN)
Eta Kappa Nu is a 102-year-old honor society for electrical and computer engineering students and professionals. With more than 250,000 members and nearly 200 active university chapters, HKN recognizes excellence in academic accomplishments, leadership, outstanding character, and service. The International Engineering Consortium manages the headquarters function of Eta Kappa Nu. For more information, please visit www.hkn.org.