A Transistor Museum Interview with Jack Haenichen

The Development of the 2N2222 – The Most Successful and Widely Used Transistor Ever Developed.

 

Oral History – Jack Haenichen

(Continued)

 

13)  How did the Motorola transistor organization change in the 1960s?

 

In 1968, Fairchild was losing business and losing money, (which was hard to believe because they were far and away the leader for years), and so they decided it was time to change management.  Motorola, at the time, was called the “Ponderous Pachyderm” by the industry people.   In other words, we maybe were not the “latest and greatest” but when we started making something, we wiped everybody out, because we just made them by the billions – that was our reputation, slow moving but good.  Apparently, that appealed to the people in Long Island, and they approached Les Hogan and he left, along with all of his top staff.  I was a second tier person at that point and got subsequently promoted then to Corporate vice-president.  I decided to stay, mainly because I liked it there and they were good to me – why should I leave?  Right or wrong, that’s what I did.  Despite the fact that Les Hogan was a genius, he and his group were unable to return Fairchild to its former glory.   

 

 

14)  The Transistor Museum recently completed an Oral History of Wilf Corrigan - he was also involved in management change at this time.

 

I can tell you something about Wilf Corrigan, to show you what kind of guy he is. 

 

 

Oral History – Jack Haenichen

(Continued)

 

Naturally, part of the deal when these guys left is that they were given big stock options before the announcement – well, you know what happens; the minute the announcement is made the stock surges.  Corrigan told them he was going to leave, but he said, “I have unfinished work here. I don’t want to leave Motorola in a lurch, and I am going to stay until I feel it is safe for me to go.”   That was remarkable.

 

 

 

15) How long did you stay at Motorola and what did you do afterwards?

 

I left there in 1975, and I retired.  I got bored soon afterwards.  I got a phone call late in 1975 from a guy named Dr. Bob Handy.  Bob Handy was hired by Motorola from Westinghouse 10 years prior to that, and I knew Bob well and had worked with him.  He was “loaned” to the State of Arizona as an ‘executive loan” to start up a Solar Energy Research Commission.  He called me up, and asked me to help him.  I was still a young man then, 40 years old.  So I went down there and helped him with it, and when his year was up, and he left and went back to Motorola. I stayed on with that for quite awhile.   

 

 

 

Go To Haenichen Oral History, Page 15

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