Legends of Silicon Valley: Ted Hoff

Inventor of the microprocessor.

In 1971, Intel Corporation unveiled the world’s first microprocessor, the Intel 4004, a technological feat that (understatement alert) changed the world. What the fractional horsepower motor was to the Industrial Revolution, the microprocessor became to the unfolding digital age.

The foundational architecture of the microprocessor was conceived by Marcian “Ted” Hoff, a brilliant engineer and Intel’s twelfth employee. His colleagues, Stanley Mazor and Federico Faggin, helped transform the idea into reality. In recognition of their achievement, the trio was honored by President Obama with the 2009 National Medal of Technology in a ceremony at the White House.

I met Dr. Hoff yesterday at his home in Los Altos Hills, California. Warm and unassuming, he carries a treasury of stories and recollections from the early days of Silicon Valley, when the region’s pioneers – Frederick E. Terman, Dave Packard, Robert Noyce, Gordon Moore, Bill Shockley, Sherman Fairchild, and others – were shaping its future. His affection for Robert Noyce was especially palpable as he recalled Noyce’s depth in semiconductor electronics and the sheer force of his presence.

Marcian “Ted” Hoff
5D Mark III, 85L II

With his invention, Intel 4004, the world’s first microprocessor
5D Mark III, 24-105L

At home in Los Altos Hills, California
5D Mark III, 24-105L