Jack Gifford

He was born in Torrance, California.
Gifford's father taught his son to play baseball at an early age.
Gifford won All-City honors playing at Banning High School, and dreamed of playing professional baseball.
Won a full baseball scholarship to UCLA and played first base for two years on the varsity team while earning a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering.
He received a B.S.E.E. from University of California, Los Angeles, 1963.
Married to his wife, Rhodine, for 47 years, he has three daughters and seven grandchildren.Gifford died of a heart attack in Mauna Kea, Hawaii at the age of 68.


Honors and awards
1988 - Nominated for the National Entrepreneur of the Year award by Arthur Young
1990 - Elected to the UCLA Baseball Hall of Fame
1992 - Named the 1991 Alumnus of the Year of the UCLA College of Engineering
1992 - Commencement Speaker at the 1992 UCLA College of Engineering Graduation Ceremony
2001 - Named CEO of the Year by Electronic Business Magazine
2004 - Oldest player ever to participate in the National Baseball Congress World Series
2005 - Named America's Best Semiconductor Industry CEO by Institutional Investor Magazine

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