"Starting Up Silicon Valley: How ROLM Became a Cultural Icon and Fortune 500 Company"
Discussion and book signing by Katherine Maxfield
Thu Nov 13
6:30 pm
Duncan Hall (McMurtry Auditorium)

A fascinating look at the history of Silicon Valley through the lens of a group of a Rice Engineering Alumni who helped create it. Founded in 1969 by Gene Richeson, Ken Oshman, Walter Loewenstern, and Robert Maxfield, the eponymous ROLM Corporation was one of the first tech start-ups in what was then known as the Santa Clara Valley, and one of the pioneers of the "great place to work" ethos. ROLM originally specialized in hardened mil-spec computers and later became a leading maker of telecom systems. (In the early 1980s, the Rice campus telephone system was all ROLM equipment). An earlier Rice Engineering Alumnus, Burt McMurtry , was one of the original backers of the company.

Thursday's speaker is Bob Maxfield's wife Katherine, who has published a well-received history of the company and its formative impact on Silicon Valley.

Full event details here:
http://alumni.rice.edu/rea/rolm

The event is organized by the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership with publicity assistance from Rice Engineering Alumni. Many thanks to both organizations for putting this on!

And immediately after the engineering event, you can hustle over to Tudor Fieldhouse to watch Rice volleyball polish off Marshall in the penultimate match of the regular season:
http://www.riceowls.com/sports/w-volley/...14aaa.html

A strong run in these last two games (both at home) will put Rice in the driver's seat for the conference tournament, and thus in a good spot to join Rice soccer in winning the Conference USA championship and landing an NCAA berth. Go Owls!

Tonight!