1912 Town [USA] † 1996

He was co-founder, along with Bill Hewlett, of the Hewlett-Packard company (HP).

He earned his bachelor's degree from Stanford University in 1934 and worked for General Electric Company in New York.

In 1938, he returned to Stanford, where he received his master's degree in electrical engineering the following year.

In 1939, he and Bill Hewlett started their company in David Packard's garage with an initial capital investment of US$538 million, and the two grew HP into the world's largest manufacturer of electronic test and measurement devices.

HP also became a leading producer of calculators, computers, and laser and inkjet printers.

Packard served as president of Hewlett-Packard from 1947 to 1964, CEO from 1964 to 1968, and Chairman of the Executive Committee from 1964 to 1968, and from 1972 to 1993.

When Richard Nixon became president in 1969, he was appointed Undersecretary of Defense, serving until 1971, when he resigned and returned to Hewlett-Packard.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Packard was a prominent White House advisor on defense issues.