Irwin M. Jacobs
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Irwin Mark Jacobs (born October 18, 1933) is an American
electrical engineer Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems that use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...
and businessman. He is a co-founder and former chairman of
Qualcomm Qualcomm Incorporated () is an American multinational corporation headquartered in San Diego, California, and Delaware General Corporation Law, incorporated in Delaware. It creates semiconductors, software and services related to wireless techn ...
, and chair of the board of trustees of the
Salk Institute for Biological Studies The Salk Institute for Biological Studies is a scientific research institute in the La Jolla community of San Diego, California. The independent, non-profit institute was founded in 1960 by Jonas Salk, the developer of the polio vaccine; among th ...
. As of 2019, Jacobs has an estimated net worth of $1.2 billion.


Early life and education

Jacobs was born to a Jewish family in
New Bedford, Massachusetts New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. At the 2020 census, New Bedford had a population of 101,079, making it the state's ninth-l ...
. He earned his
Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...
in electrical engineering from
Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...
in 1956, and his
Master of Science A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medici ...
and
Doctor of Science A Doctor of Science (; most commonly abbreviated DSc or ScD) is a science doctorate awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. Africa Algeria and Morocco In Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia, all universities accredited by the s ...
degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...
(MIT) in 1957 and 1959, respectively. His doctoral advisor was Edward Arthurs. He is a member of
Sigma Alpha Mu Sigma Alpha Mu (), commonly known as Sammy, is a college fraternity founded at the City College of New York in 1909. Though initially founded as a Jewish organization, the fraternity dropped its religious affiliation and became open to men of a ...
fraternity.Irwin M Jacobs Trustee Bio
University of California, San Diego Foundation, accessed December 30, 2010.


Career

Jacobs was assistant and associate professor of electrical engineering at MIT from 1959 to 1966 and professor of computer science and engineering at the
University of California, San Diego The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego in communications material, formerly and colloquially UCSD) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in San Diego, California, United States. Es ...
(UCSD) from 1966 to 1972. With John Wozencraft, he co-authored a textbook entitled ''Principles of Communication Engineering'' in 1965, which is still in use today. UCSD's
Jacobs School of Engineering The Irwin and Joan Jacobs School of Engineering is an undergraduate and graduate-level engineering school offering Bachelor of Science, BS, Bachelor of Arts, BA, Master of Engineering, MEng, Master of Science, MS, Master of Advanced Study, MAS ...
is named for him and his wife.Irwin M. Jacobs Bio
IEEE Global History Network, accessed December 30, 2010.
In 1968, Jacobs co-founded Linkabit Corporation with
Andrew Viterbi Andrew James Viterbi (born Andrea Giacomo Viterbi, March 9, 1935) is an electrical engineer and businessman who co-founded Qualcomm Inc. and invented the Viterbi algorithm. He is the Presidential Chair Professor of Electrical Engineering at th ...
to develop satellite encryption devices. That company merged with M/A-COM, Inc. in 1980, becoming M/A-COM Linkabit. In 1985, Jacobs went on to co-found Qualcomm Inc. along with Viterbi, Harvey White, Adelia Coffman, Andrew Cohen, Klein Gilhousen, and Franklin Antonio. Qualcomm developed the OmniTRACS system that was deemed one of the world's most "technologically advanced two-way mobile satellite communications and tracking systems". He pioneered these systems which use the communication bandwidth more efficiently than the older fixed time-sliced TDMA technology. Its
Code-Division Multiple Access Code-division multiple access (CDMA) is a channel access method used by various radio communication technologies. CDMA is an example of channel access method, multiple access, where several transmitters can send information simultaneously over ...
(CDMA) has been adopted as one of two digital standards (the other being
Global System for Mobile Communications The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) is a family of standards to describe the protocols for second-generation ( 2G) digital cellular networks, as used by mobile devices such as mobile phones and mobile broadband modems. GSM is also ...
SM used in the next generation of cellular telephones in North America at the time. Jacobs announced in March 2009 that he had stepped down as chairman of Qualcomm and that Paul E. Jacobs, his son, would succeed him.


Affiliations

Jacobs was elected a member of the
National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American Nonprofit organization, nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. It is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), along with the National Academ ...
in 1982 for contributions to communication theory and practice, and leadership in high-technology product development. He is also a
Fellow of the IEEE A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned or professional societies, the term refers ...
. He is a member of the
Inter-American Dialogue The Inter-American Dialogue (Spanish and Portuguese: ''Diálogo Interamericano''), also known as the Dialogue or IAD, is a U.S.-based think tank in the field of international affairs primarily related to the Western Hemisphere. Headquartered in ...
. He is a chairman on the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, and is on the international advisory board for the Israel Institute of Technology. He is on the advisory board for the School of Economics and Management at
Tsinghua University Tsinghua University (THU) is a public university in Haidian, Beijing, China. It is affiliated with and funded by the Ministry of Education of China. The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Constructio ...
in Beijing. He is on the board of directors of the Pacific Council on International Policy in Los Angeles.


Awards and honors

In 1980, Jacobs was the co-recipient, with Andrew J. Viterbi, the 1980 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) biannual award. In 1992, Jacobs was awarded the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in High Technology by the Institute of American Entrepreneurs, and in May 1993, he was awarded the American Electronics Association (AEA) "Inventing America's Future" award. In 1994, for his development of
CDMA Code-division multiple access (CDMA) is a channel access method used by various radio communication technologies. CDMA is an example of multiple access, where several transmitters can send information simultaneously over a single communicatio ...
, Jacobs was awarded the
National Medal of Technology and Innovation The National Medal of Technology and Innovation (formerly the National Medal of Technology) is an honor granted by the president of the United States to American inventors and innovators who have made significant contributions to the development ...
. In 1994, he was also awarded the "Cornell University Entrepreneur of the Year" Award. In 1995, Jacobs won the IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal – For outstanding contributions to telecommunications, including leadership, theory, practice, and product development. In 2000, Jacobs was inducted into the Wireless Hall of Fame for his role in the cellular industry. In 2001, Jacobs was awarded the Bower Award for Business Leadership in 2001.
National Medal of Technology – 1994 Recipients.
In 2004, Jacobs and his wife Joan Jacobs are contributors to public arts and education in San Diego. For this, Jacobs was awarded the Woodrow Wilson Awards, Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship in 2004. In 2005, Jacobs delivered the 2005
commencement speech In the United States, a commencement speech or commencement address is a speech given to graduating students, generally at a university, although the term is also used for secondary education institutions and in similar institutions around the ...
at
MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of modern technology and sc ...
, and the 2008 commencement speech at the Jacobs School of Engineering. In 2007, Jacobs and Viterbi received the 2007 IEEE/RSE Wolfson James Clerk Maxwell Award, for "fundamental contributions, innovation, and leadership that enabled the growth of wireless telecommunications". In 2009, he was named a Fellow of AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science). In 2011, he received the
Marconi Prize The Marconi Prize is an annual award recognizing achievements and advancements made in field of communications (radio, mobile, wireless, telecommunications, data communications, networks, and Internet). The prize is awarded by the Marconi Society ...
together with Jack Wolf. In 2011, he was named a Marconi Prize recipient and Marconi Fellow. In 2011, Jacobs was inducted into the
International Air & Space Hall of Fame The International Air & Space Hall of Fame is an honor roll of people, groups, organizations, or things that have contributed significantly to the advancement of aerospace flight and technology, sponsored by the San Diego Air & Space Museum. Sin ...
at the
San Diego Air & Space Museum The San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) is an aviation and space exploration museum in San Diego, California. It is located in Balboa Park (San Diego), Balboa Park and is housed in the former Ford Building (San Diego), Ford Building, which is li ...
. In 2012, Jacobs was named the W. P. Carey School of Business Dean's Council of 100 Executive of the Year. In 2013, Jacobs was inducted into the
National Inventors Hall of Fame The National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) is an American not-for-profit organization, founded in 1973, which recognizes individual engineers and inventors who hold a US patent of significant technology. Besides the Hall of Fame, it also operate ...
. In 2013, he received the
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
from the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is an American 501(c)(3) public charity professional organization for electrical engineering, electronics engineering, and other related disciplines. The IEEE has a corporate office ...
(IEEE), which is the highest honor an engineer can receive from his or her peers. The IEEE said he was receiving the award not just for his innovations but for "the ability to translate innovation into industry applications, time after time after time." In November 2013, he was conferred the title of "Distinguished Honor Chair Professor" of National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan. In 2013, he was elected to the
American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...
. In August and October 2014, Jacobs was awarded honorary doctorates by
National Tsing Hua University National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) is a public research university in Hsinchu, Taiwan. It was first founded in Beijing. After the Chinese Civil War, president Mei Yiqi and other academics relocated with the retreating Nationalist government to ...
, Taiwan, and
Hong Kong Polytechnic University The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU or HKPU) is a public research university in Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong. The university is one of the eight government-funded degree-granting tertiary institutions in Hong Kong. Founded in 1937 a ...
. In 2014, Jacobs was elected to the
Computer History Museum The Computer History Museum (CHM) is a computer museum in Mountain View, California. The museum presents stories and artifacts of Silicon Valley and the Information Age, and explores the Digital Revolution, computing revolution and its impact ...
as a Fellow – for "his pioneering work in digital mobile telephony, data and communications, and technology". In 2015, Jacobs received the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy. In 2017, Jacobs received an honorary Doctor of Engineering and Technology degree from
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
. In 2017, Jacobs and Viterbi received the IEEE Milestone Award for their CDMA and spread spectrum development that drives the mobile industry. In February 2018, he was appointed an honorary advisor to the president of National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan. In March 2018, he was named the winner of IMEC Lifetime of Innovation Award. In July 2019, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the
University of York The University of York (abbreviated as or ''York'' for Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a public Collegiate university, collegiate research university in York, England. Established in 1963, the university has expanded to more than thir ...
, UK. In October 2019, he received the IET
Mountbatten Medal The IET Mountbatten Medal is awarded annually for an outstanding contribution, or contributions over a period, to the promotion of electronics or information technology and their application. The Medal was established by the National Electronics C ...
in London.


Philanthropy

As the co-founder and chairman of
Qualcomm Qualcomm Incorporated () is an American multinational corporation headquartered in San Diego, California, and Delaware General Corporation Law, incorporated in Delaware. It creates semiconductors, software and services related to wireless techn ...
, Jacobs has contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to the field of education through donations and grants to several schools and organizations. His donations have gone mostly towards fellowships and scholarships for students in the fields of engineering and computer science, as well as the arts, and are focused in the San Diego area.Irwin Jacob's philanthropy profile
Faces of Philanthropy The face is the front of the head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affect the ...
, accessed December 28, 2010.
Potiker Theatre
.
La Jolla Playhouse La Jolla Playhouse is a nonprofit professional theater on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. History La Jolla Playhouse was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and Mel Ferrer. In 1983, it was revived under the ...
, accessed December 28, 2010.
''
The San Diego Union-Tribune ''The San Diego Union-Tribune'' is a metropolitan daily newspaper published in San Diego, California, that has run since 1868. Its name derives from a 1992 merger between the two major daily newspapers at the time, ''The San Diego Union'' and ...
'' in 2011 dubbed him the "Philanthropist in Chief". As of September 2009, Jacobs had donated a total of $31 million to his post graduate degrees school, the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...
. He had donated $15 million and another $110 million to the
University of California, San Diego The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego in communications material, formerly and colloquially UCSD) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in San Diego, California, United States. Es ...
where he was a professor of computer science and engineering for several years. Additionally, he has donated $62 million total to the American Society for Technion, his alma mater
Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...
, and KPBS Radio and
Television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
. His KPBS donation was in the sum of $1 million, and the multi-year gift is designed to strengthen the station's local journalism and news collaboration with
NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
. The Jacobs have donated funds to build studios for KPBS and have supported the station for decades.San Diego's Wealthiest: Irwin M. Jacobs
Allbusiness, accessed January 7, 2011.
In 2010, he funded an engineering study on how to fulfill a proposal to remove automobiles from the Plaza de Panama in San Diego's Balboa Park and agreed to chair a committee to study the proposal and develop private funding for it. Irwin and Joan Jacobs donated $5 million in 2002 to the
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) is an art museum in La Jolla La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood in San Diego, California, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the ...
downtown location for the renovation of the former train station baggage building which was named in their honor. Jacobs has pledged $120 million for the
San Diego Symphony The San Diego Symphony is an American symphony orchestra based in San Diego, California. The orchestra performs at Jacobs Music Center and the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. It serves as the orchestra for the San Diego Opera. History On December 6, ...
, a similar amount for the
Jacobs School of Engineering The Irwin and Joan Jacobs School of Engineering is an undergraduate and graduate-level engineering school offering Bachelor of Science, BS, Bachelor of Arts, BA, Master of Engineering, MEng, Master of Science, MS, Master of Advanced Study, MAS ...
at the University of California, San Diego, $100 million for UCSD's future specialty hospital and $20 million to replace the central library in downtown San Diego. Also in 2005, the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Center for the
La Jolla Playhouse La Jolla Playhouse is a nonprofit professional theater on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. History La Jolla Playhouse was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and Mel Ferrer. In 1983, it was revived under the ...
was named after Jacobs and his wife in honor of their philanthropic contributions towards the institution's development.A Commitment to Sharing Wealth
Sign On San Diego News, accessed December 28, 2010.
In April 2013, the Jacobs donated $133 million to the joint
Cornell Tech Cornell Tech is a graduate campus and research center of Cornell University on Roosevelt Island in Manhattan, New York City. It provides courses in technology, business, and design, and includes the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, a partners ...
campus development on Roosevelt Island in New York City. The Joan and Irwin Jacobs TIX Institute at
National Tsing Hua University National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) is a public research university in Hsinchu, Taiwan. It was first founded in Beijing. After the Chinese Civil War, president Mei Yiqi and other academics relocated with the retreating Nationalist government to ...
, Taiwan, was sponsored by Jacobs with the mission of encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship. The
American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. ACLU affiliates are active in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The budget of the ACLU in 2024 was $383 million. T ...
Foundation announced in January 2022 that it was renaming its list of pending United States Supreme Court cases the "Joan and Irwin Jacobs Supreme Court Docket" in honor of the couple's $20 million gift, the largest one-time endowment gift in the organization's history.
ACLU ANNOUNCES JOAN AND IRWIN JACOBS SUPREME COURT DOCKET, accessed January 23, 2022.


The Giving Pledge

In August 2010, Irwin and Joan Jacobs joined the Giving Pledge, pledging to give away most of their fortune to philanthropy.


Personal life

In 1954, Jacobs married a New York City native, dietician, and fellow Cornell graduate (1952), Joan Klein. Joan died on May 6, 2024, at the age of 91, following a lengthy illness; a public memorial was held at The Rady Shell. The couple resided in
La Jolla, California La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood in San Diego, California, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781. The climate is mild, with an average daily temperature o ...
, and had four sons.Forbes The World's Billionaires: Irwin Jacobs
March 2019
Their son Paul E. Jacobs succeeded Irwin as CEO of Qualcomm until stepping down in March 2014. Jeff Jacobs was the chief marketing officer of Qualcomm. Hal Jacobs, the second oldest, played on the 1985 USA
Maccabiah Games The Maccabiah Games (, or משחקי המכביה העולמית; sometimes referred to as the "Jewish Olympics") is an international multi-sport event with summer and winter sports competitions featuring Jews and Israelis regardless of religion ...
volleyball team, and is a co-producer of the musical ''
Jersey Boys ''Jersey Boys'' is a jukebox musical with a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is presented in a documentary-style format that dramatizes the formation, success and breakup of the 1960s rock 'n' roll group The Four Seasons. The mus ...
''. Their eldest son,
Gary E. Jacobs Gary E. Jacobs (born 1957) is an American businessman, founder of Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High Charter School, and owner of the Lake Elsinore Storm. He is the father of United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative Sara ...
, is the head of the board of the Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High Charter School. His granddaughter, Sara Jacobs, a Democratic politician, is the representative for
California's 53rd congressional district California's 53rd congressional district was a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. It was last represented by Sara Jacobs, who succeeded Susan Davis (politician), Susan Davis following the 2020 United States House of Repres ...
. During her political campaigns, she received significant funding from her grandfather.


Notes


External links


Biography from QUALCOMM.com
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jacobs, Irwin M. 1933 births American billionaires Cornell University College of Engineering alumni 21st-century American philanthropists Living people MIT School of Engineering alumni MIT School of Engineering faculty Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering National Medal of Technology recipients Qualcomm people Businesspeople from San Diego University of California, San Diego faculty Jacobs family (telecommunications) Salk Institute for Biological Studies people IEEE Medal of Honor recipients 21st-century American Jews Members of the Inter-American Dialogue Benjamin Franklin Medal (Franklin Institute) laureates Members of the American Philosophical Society