William Hewlett - Definition and Overview

William R. Hewlett (May 20, 1913 - January 12, 2001) was the co-founder, with David Packard, of the Hewlett-Packard Company (HP). He was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan but moved to San Francisco at the age of 3 years. He attended Lowell High School and was accepted at Stanford University as a favor to his late father, Albion Walter Hewlett, who had died prematurely of a brain tumor in 1925.

Hewlett received his Bachelor's degree from Stanford University in 1934, and his Master's degree from MIT in 1936. Hewlett attended classes taught by Fred Terman at Stanford and became acquainted with David Packard during his undergraduate work at Stanford.

He was President of HP from 1964 to 1977, and served as CEO from 1968 to 1978, when he was succeeded by John A. Young. He remained chairman of the executive committee until 1983, and then served as vice chairman of the board until 1987.

In 1995 he received the Lemelson-MIT Prize Lifetime Achievement Award.

External links

• Bill Hewlett Remembered (http://www.itworld.com/Tech/2987/IW010122hnhewlett/) by Bob Lewis (InfoWorld,January 22,2001)
• Thoemmes Encyclopedia (http://www.thoemmes.com/encyclopedia/hewlett.htm) article on William Hewlett
• Official biography at HP website (http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/execteam/bios/hewlett.html)