C. SHELDON ROBERTS

1926 - 2014

ROBERTS, C. Sheldon October 27, 1926 - June 6, 2014 Peacefully passed away in McMinnville, Oregon on June 6, 2014. He was born in 1926 in Rupert, Vermont. After serving in the Navy during World War II as a radioman, Sheldon Roberts received his Bachelors degree in metallurgical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1948 and his Masters degree and Ph.D. in metallurgy from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After a short stint with the Dow Chemical Company, Sheldon and his family moved to what would become known as the Silicon Valley to work for Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory in Mountain View, California. In 1957, Roberts and seven of his colleagues left Schockley to form Fairchild Semiconductor where they established the foundation of Americas semiconductor and integrated circuit industry. He later left Fairchild to help co-found Amelco Semiconductor, now known as Teledyne. Sheldon was a private pilot, a lover of music and a life long dog owner. He served as a Rensselaer Trustee and was elected into Rensselaers Alumni Hall of Fame in 1999. He served on the board of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and as a trustee for the American Society of Metallurgists International. Roberts held several patents in the semiconductor field and authored articles and a book on magnesium and its alloys. Roberts wife of 57 years, Patricia passed away in 2008; and, he is survived by three sons, Dave, Steve and Wayne, their wives, Jane, LuAnn and Kathy, and two grandchildren, Chris and Scott. Sheldon will be interned at Mount Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mount Auburn Street Cambridge, Massachusetts (617 547-7105) at 1:00 pm on June 13, 2014; and, a memorial service will take place at that time. In lieu of flowers, Sheldon would appreciate a donation to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. To leave online condolences, visit www.macyandson.com