Howard Vollum

Charles Howard Vollum (May 31, 1913 – February 5, 1986) was an American engineer, scientist, and philanthropist in Oregon, United States. He was the co-founder of Tektronix Corporation, and endowed the Vollum Institute.

Howard Vollum was born on May 31, 1913, in Portland, Oregon. He attended Portland's Catholic Columbia University (now University of Portland) from 1931 to 1933, but transferred to Reed College in 1934, where in 1936 he received a Bachelor of Arts in Physics. His undergraduate thesis was the creation of a new kind of cathode-ray oscilloscope.

Upon graduation from college, he spent several years servicing and installing radios and experimenting with electronic devices. From 1940 to 1941 he was Supervisor of the Radio Project, NYA, in Portland. Vollum served as an officer in the United States Army Signal Corps from 1942 to 1946, serving in England and New Jersey on artillery fire control radar. He was later awarded the Legion of Merit for this work.

He was awarded the Howard N. Potts Medal in 1973.

Vollum died on February 5, 1986. His wife, Jean Vollum, continued to serve on the Tektronix board of directors until mandatory retirement at age 70, and continued philanthropy until her death in 2007. Vollum was survived by his five sons.

In 1946, Vollum co-founded Tektronix with Jack Murdock, stating its purpose in the articles of incorporation as: "to install, repair, service and sell, purchase, manufacture and otherwise acquire and deal in radio and other instruments." By 1951, the company had 300 employees and sales of $4 million; by 1959, there were 3,000 employees with sales at $32 million. Tektronix had become the leading oscilloscopes and test equipment manufacturer, a position that held up until the 1970s. Vollum served as president of the company from 1946 until 1971. He remained on its board of directors until his death, and was board chairman until 1984 and then vice chairman.

...
Wikipedia