Engineer, entrepreneur, educator, innovator and philanthropist, Irwin Jacobs was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He received an electrical engineering degree in 1956 from Cornell University, and Master of Science and Doctor of Science degrees in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1957 and 1959, respectfully. Jacobs began his distinguished teaching career at MIT, serving as a faculty member from1959 to 1966. He relocated to San Diego, joining the faculty at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). In 1972, Jacobs left UCSD to form his first company, Linkabit, where he and his team developed a coding concept for NASA deep space probes, still in use today. Linkabit merged with M/A-COM in 1980. Over 100 San Diego communications companies can trace their roots to Linkabit.In 1985 Jacobs co-founded a new company, Qualcomm. Qualcomm revolutionized the world of communications technology, and would become a San Diego icon. Jacobs served as CEO at Qualcomm from its inception until 2005, and through 2009 as Chairman of the Board. Under Jacobs' direction, Qualcomm pioneered the development and commercialization of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) mobile wireless technology, used in all third-generation cellular networks, and now used by over one billion consumers worldwide for voice and broadband Internet access. Worldwide, Qualcomm is the leading developer and supplier of Code Division Multiple Access Integrated Circuits for wireless voice and data communication products. These technologies have revolutionized communications technology. Jacobs was named Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Salk Institute in 2006 and Chair of the National Academy of Engineering in July 2008. He has been the recipient of many prestigious awards, including the IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal, and the Financial Times Lifetime Achievement Award. A renowned philanthropist, Jacobs has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to educational organizations to advance the study of engineering and computer science. He has also provided significant support to many San Diego cultural organizations.
Inducted in 2011.
Portrait Location: Modern Jet

Induction Video