David Packard

Packard, David, 1912–96, American business executive, b. Pueblo, Colo., grad. Stanford (B.A., 1934; M.S., 1939). He and classmate William R. Hewlett opened a garage-based business, which became (1938) the Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP), the company that gave rise to Silicon Valley and eventually became a multinational producer of computers, printers, calculators, and other electronic equipment. Like Hewlett, Packard favored an innovative approach to management, eschewing hierarchy, promoting individual creativity, and creating a unique corporate culture. Considered HP's business genius, he was its president (1947–64), CEO (1964–67), and chairman of the board (1964–68, 1972–93). He also served (1968–71) in the Nixon administration as deputy secretary of defense, and founded of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

See his The HP Way (1995, repr. 2006); J. S. Malone, Bill & Dave (2007).

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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