Frank S. Greene Jr. 

Frank S. Greene Jr. earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering in 1962. After graduating, Greene entered the U.S. Air Force, where he achieved the rank of captain during his four years of service. Following his military service, he joined the research and development department of Fairchild Semiconductor. While working, Greene earned a PhD from Santa Clara University in 1970. He excelled as a semiconductor researcher, entrepreneur, teacher, and venture capitalist. Greene was awarded the patent for an integrated circuit that was the world’s fastest microchip at the time and contributed to Fairchild Semiconductor's leadership in the semiconductor industry in the late 1960s. He taught electrical engineering and computer science at five universities, and he founded two software companies, one of which Black Enterprise recognized among the top 100 Black-owned businesses. Additionally, Greene co-founded New Vista Capital, a venture capital firm that made early-stage investments in information technology companies owned by women and minorities. Purdue presented Greene with an Outstanding Electrical and Computer Engineer Award in 1999 and a Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award in 2002. The Frank S. Greene Jr. Middle School in Palo Alto, California, was named in his honor in 2018.