More than Military

EUGENE KLEINER
Venture Capitalist

Eugene Kleiner, pioneer founder of Silicon Valley, is most well known for successfully helping Amazon.com, Compaq Computer and Sun Microsystems make their mark on American technology.

But Kleiner's very first innovative move was to take advantage of his GI Bill benefits and further his education after his service in World War II.

In 1938, Kleiner's family fled Vienna for New York, to escape the Nazi occupation of their homeland. Having been fortunate enough to escape, Eugene Kleiner then joined the US Army, to help defeat the Nazis during World War II.

After the war, veteran Kleiner used his GI Bill entitlement to earn a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering at Polytechnic University in New York, and a master's degree in industrial engineering from New York University.

Barely out of college, Kleiner joined William Shockley in launching Shockley Laboratories in Palo Alto. A year later, eight colleagues, including Kleiner, founded Fairchild Semiconductor, and together, perfected the mass production of the breakthrough technology of the silicon chip.

Kleiner's impact on Silicon Valley continued. In 1972, he founded the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, destined to one of the most powerful venture capital firms in the nation, helping to establish over 300 companies.

A brilliant career, a powerful builder of modern computer technology - great things happen when you use your GI Bill.

---

Support Our Troops: