Dr. Frank Greene Jr.
October 19, 1938 –December 26, 2009
Scientist, Mentor, Inventor, Chip designer, CEO, and activist inductee into the Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame and Venture Capitalist.
He was born on October 19, 1938, in Washington, D.C. to Frank S. Greene, Sr. and Irma Olivia Swygert. He earned a B.S. from Washington University in St. Louis (1961), a M.S. from Purdue University (1962) and a Ph.D. from Santa Clara University (1970). He also served in the United States Air force for four years.
“You must always be prepared for success”
In 1965, while working in research and development department for Fairchild Semiconductor, where he assisted in the development of a patented memory chip design, the fastest at the time. Greene held the patent for the integrated circuit that made Fairchild a semiconductor leader in the late 1960s.In 1971, Greene became the founding CEO of Technology Development Corporation, computer software and technical services company that would grow from four employees to over 300 by 1985, with annual revenues of over $30 million. Also Greene founded Zero One Systems, Inc. in 1985. In 1993, he served as the co-founder of New Vista Capital, and the subsequent New Vista Capital Funds. With New Vista, he organized and developed a private equity venture capital fund and acts as a business and financial advisor to start up technology companies. The firm has funded over 26 start-up information technology companies founded and headed by people of color and women. Technology Development Corp. went public in 1985, and ZeroOne Systems Inc. was sold to Sterling Software.
In addition, Greene has shared his expertise in the classroom, teaching courses in both computer sciences and electrical engineering at Stanford University, Santa Clara University, Howard University, and Washington University in St. Louis.
Frank Greene Jr. served on many boards of directors of Technology Development Corporation, Networked Picture Systems, Comsis Corporation, and Beyond Software, Inc., Greene currently serves on the boards of Broadware, Compliance Coach, Quippe Technologies, ZNYX, and Epicentric. In addition, he participates in community activities as a Board Member of the National Conference for Community and Justice and the American Musical Theater of San Jose and as a member of the Home Savings Community Partnership Council. He was president of the GO-Positive educational foundation. The GO-Positive Foundation offers leadership programs with “core positive values” for high school and college students. He is the author of “Leadership in the NOW: Power and Endurance” and “Leadership in the NOW: Success Guide
In 1991 he was the precipitant of the Black Alumni Achievement Award from Washington University, was the recipient of the Purdue University Outstanding Electrical Engineer Award in 1999; was inducted into the Silicon Valley Hall of Fame in 2001 with the giants of technology like Robert Noyce, David Packard, William Hewlett, and the Varian brothers now he is one of 63 Hall of Fame, conferred by the Silicon Valley Engineering Council. He was awarded the title of the Santa Clara University Distinguished Engineering Alumnus in 1993. The California Alliance of African American Educators named a program for mentoring minority youth in the sciences Dr. Frank S. Greene, Jr. Scholars Program (GSP). Frank founded the “GO-Positive” Foundation to promote a simple but powerful leadership training tool he had developed named VRE.
Mr. Greene passed away the day after Christmas at the age of 71 on December 26, 2009, Saturday at El Camino Hospital. Frank is survived by brother Arthur; daughter Angela and son Frank (III), son-in-law Henry Gage Jr., and grandchildren Jaqueline Gage and Henry Joe Gage.
Valerie Royaltey-Quandt, principal of Frank S. Greene Jr. Middle School, and student council president Kimmy Bercerra-Arrellin speak about Greene’s work during a rededication ceremony at the school on Nov. 14, 2018. Photo by Veronica Weber.