Varian Associates
Founded | April 20, 1948 |
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Fate |
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Headquarters | Palo Alto, California, United States |
Key people | Russell and Sigurd Varian |
Number of employees | 7,000 (1998) |
Subsidiaries | Varian Data Machines (1967–1977) |
Varian Associates was one of the first
Incorporation and leadership
On April 20, 1948, the Articles of Incorporation were filed, signed by nine directors:
Under Thomas D. Sege, the company's chief executive officer (CEO) from 1981 to 1990, sales grew to exceed $1 billion per annum. In 1990, J. Tracy O'Rourke replaced Sege as CEO and was also made chairman of the board.
Early projects and goals
They initially created the company to commercialize the klystron
One of Varian Associates' major contracts in the 1950s was to create a fuse for the
Most of the founders of Varian Associates, had
History
The company was initially headquartered in San Carlos, California,[9] and started with only $22,000 in funding.[2] It had problems raising additional capital, particularly due to Russell's insistence that the company be owned by its employees and his related refusal to accept outside investors.[9] Hansen mortgaged his home for $17,000 to raise additional cash, and the group sought additional funds from friends.[9] Ultimately the company raised $120,000 of capital via an offer of stock to all employees, directors, consultants, and a few sympathetic local investors who shared the company's goals.[9] Military contracts for technology deemed necessary during the Cold War, including some classified projects helped the firm succeed.[9] In 1953, Varian Associates moved its headquarters to Palo Alto, California,[13] at Stanford Industrial Park – noted as the "spawning ground of Silicon Valley" – and was the first firm to occupy a site there.[4]
In 1963 Varian hired Richard R. Ernst, who just graduated with a PhD in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy from ETH Zurich. In the next 5 years at Varian, Ernst invented Fourier-transform NMR spectrometer and developed World's first commercial FT-NMR spectrometer, which was produced by Varian.[14] in 1991 Ernst was awarded Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work, that started at Varian.
In 1967, Varian entered the computer business by acquiring Decision Control Inc. (DCI)[15] and renamed it Varian Data Machines. Their computers competed mainly with machines like those from Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). 10 years later, Varian Data Machines was sold to Sperry Corporation.[16]
On April 2, 1999, the company spun off its Gloucester, Massachusetts ion-implantation equipment business into Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates and its Palo Alto-based scientific instrument business into Varian, Inc. The medical equipment business, which included manufacturing x-ray tubes in Salt Lake City, Utah, renamed itself Varian Medical Systems, Inc. and remained headquartered in Palo Alto. After the breakup, O'Rourke served as Varian Semiconductor's chairman. Varian, Inc., was later acquired by Agilent Technologies in May, 2010.[17]
On Jan 30th 2017, Varian Medical Systems, Inc.(NYSE:VAR) spun off its X-Ray & Imaging Components business, primarily located in Salt Lake City, Utah to form VAREX Imaging Corporation (NASDAQ: VREX), a publicly listed company. The remaining part of medical equipment business, which mainly consists of oncology radiation business and proton therapy business remained with Varian Medical Systems, Inc. Headquarters remains in the Stanford Research Park, Palo Alto, California.[18]
On August 2, 2020, Siemens Healthineers AG announced an agreement with Varian Medical Systems, Inc. to purchase the radiation oncology systems and software maker in an all-cash deal valued at $16.4 billion dollars.[19] The deal completed on April 15, 2021, and was touted as the "biggest acquisition in healthcare" that year.
Legacy
In 1998, the Congressional Record noted the 50th anniversary of the founding of Varian Associates, which then employed 7,000 people at 100 plants in nine countries. It had branched out into health care systems, analytical equipment and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. California Representative Anna Eshoo stated that the company had been awarded over 10,000 patents and was a "jewel in the crown of...Silicon Valley".[11]
See also
- Russell and Sigurd Varian
- Continental Electronics, a subsidiary from 1985 to 1990
- Communications & Power Industries, a 1995 spin-off, which includes the Varian brothers' original klystron business
- Intevac, a 1991 spin off
- Varian Data Machines, a former division of Varian Associates that sold minicomputers
- Varian v. Delfino
- Agilent Technologies, which bought Varian Inc in 2009
References
- ^ "Varian, Inc. An Early History". Archived from the original on 2010-10-20. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
- ^ a b Lécuyer 2006, p. 100.
- ISBN 978-1-315-22022-2.
- ^ a b c "1993 Hall of Fame Recipients" Silicon Valley Engineering Council
- Chemical Heritage Foundation. Archived from the originalon January 5, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
- ^ Gauvin, Peter. "Russell Varian (1899-1959)" Wednesday Jan 4, 1995 Palo Alto Online. Accessed October 27, 2010
- S2CID 122162167.
- .
- ^ a b c d e f Lécuyer 2006, pp. 101–103.
- ^ Lécuyer 2006, p. 94.
- ^ a b Eshoo, Anna. "Honoring Varian Associates, Inc." Congressional Record, United States House of Representatives, April 23,1998, p. 6696
- ^ "The Steve Jobs Nobody Knew." Rolling Stone October 12, 2011
- ^ Early history of Varian Associates, Communications & Power Industries. Accessed April 27, 2011
- .
- ^ "Varian Acquires Computer Firm". May 16, 1967. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
- ^ Computer History Museum, Selling the Computer Revolution - Marketing Brochures in the Collection: Varian Data Machines
- ^ Agilent's 4Q Profit Soars, Topping Views; Forecast Upbeat
- ^ Varian Announces Successful Separation of Imaging Components Business
- ^ "Siemens Healthineers completes acquisition of Varian, strengthening its position as a holistic partner in healthcare | Varian". www.varian.com. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
Sources
- "America and the Utopian Dream: Utopian Communities: Halcyon". Yale University Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
- Hammond, Anne (2002). Ansel Adams: divine performance. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-09241-7.
- Hicks, Michael (2002). Henry Cowell, Bohemian. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-02751-5
- Lécuyer, Christophe (2006). Making Silicon Valley: Innovation and the Growth of High Tech, 1930-1970. Chemical Heritage Foundation. ISBN 978-0-262-12281-8.
- Shumway, Eleanor L. (March 3, 2000). "The Temple of the People: A History". Temple of the People. Archived from the original on August 17, 2010. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
- Varian, Dorothy (1983). The Inventor and the Pilot: Russell and Sigurd Varian (First ed.). Pacific Book Pub. ISBN 978-0-87015-237-5.
External links
- Patricia White (ed.). "Guide to the Russell and Sigurd Varian Papers". Online Archive of California. SC 345. Retrieved 2010-08-21.
- Early history of Varian Associates hosted by Communications & Power Industries, which bought Varian's electron device business in 1995
- About Varian Inc. - An Early History
- J. Tracy O'Rourke joins Varian Associates
- Guide to the Varian Associates Records at The Bancroft Library