The Beginning of a Partnership That Helped Shape Silicon Valley

In 1934, two engineering students at Stanford University in California, William R. Hewlett (1913–2001) and David Packard (1912–1996), developed a friendship that would eventually lead to the establishment of one of the most influential technology companies of the twentieth century. Their shared interest in electrical engineering, scientific experimentation, and practical innovation provided the foundation for a professional partnership that contributed to the emergence of Silicon Valley as a center of technological development. Hewlett and Packard became acquainted while studying engineering at Stanford during the early 1930s. Both were influenced by Professor Frederick Emmons Terman, an electrical engineering educator who encouraged students to apply scientific knowledge to commercial technology. Terman's emphasis on research, experimentation, and entrepreneurship helped shape their understanding of the relationship between universities and industry. Stanford University School of Engineering A significant development in their friendship occurred following their graduation in 1934, when they undertook a two-week camping and fishing trip in the mountains of Colorado. During this journey, they discovered similarities in their interests, attitudes, and professional ambitions. The experience strengthened their personal relationship and established a degree of mutual understanding that would later support their business collaboration. Agilent History Timeline - 1930s After graduation, their careers initially followed different directions. Packard joined General Electric in Schenectady, New York, while Hewlett continued advanced studies at Stanford and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Despite their geographical separation, they maintained contact and continued considering opportunities to work together. Their former professor, Frederick Terman, played an important role in encouraging them to pursue an independent engineering enterprise. On August 23, 1937, Hewlett and Packard held their first formal business meeting, discussing the possibility of establishing a company dedicated to designing and manufacturing electrical engineering products. This meeting marked an important transition from personal friendship toward an organized commercial partnership. Agilent History Timeline - 1930s In 1938, the two began operating part-time from a small garage at 367 Addison Avenue in Palo Alto, California, with approximately $538 in initial working capital. Their early technical work concentrated on electronic measuring instruments, particularly an audio oscillator developed from Hewlett's research into electrical circuits and negative feedback. Their first commercial product, the HP Model 200A audio oscillator, provided a relatively economical means of generating signals for testing sound equipment. Its practical applications attracted professional customers, including Walt Disney Studios, which purchased eight improved Model 200B oscillators for work associated with the sound systems used to present the animated film Fantasia in 1940. Computer History Museum in January 1, 1939, Hewlett and Packard formally established their business partnership under the name Hewlett-Packard. Their company initially specialized in electronic test and measurement equipment before expanding into computing, scientific instruments, and other technological markets during subsequent decades. The organization's management philosophy, later widely associated with the term “HP Way,” emphasized employee responsibility, collaboration, technical initiative, and relatively decentralized decision-making. These practices became part of Hewlett-Packard's institutional identity and influenced discussions of corporate management in the technology sector. Historical Significance The friendship developed by Hewlett and Packard in 1934 represents an important early chapter in the history of American technological entrepreneurship. Their subsequent achievements demonstrated how university education, technical expertise, mentorship, and sustained professional cooperation could contribute to the creation of a successful engineering enterprise. Although Hewlett-Packard was not formally founded until 1939, the relationship established during their Stanford years provided an essential foundation for its development. Their partnership also became associated with the emerging industrial culture of Silicon Valley, where academic research, engineering experimentation, and private enterprise increasingly intersected. The historical importance of their friendship lies not simply in the eventual commercial success of Hewlett-Packard, but also in its place within the broader development of the modern technology industry.