Dr. J. Robert Beyster

1924 - 2014

Dr. J. Robert Beyster, founder and former chairman and CEO of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), died Monday, December 22, 2014, at his home in La Jolla, California, of natural causes. Dr. Beyster was born in Detroit in 1924 to John F. and Lillian E. Beyster.
Dr. Beyster enlisted in the Navy during World War II, earning the rank of ensign and serving on a destroyer based in Norfolk. Beyster received a B.S.E. in engineering and physics, a master's degree in physics, and a doctorate in physics – all from the University of Michigan. Before founding SAIC, he worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he met his wife to be, Betty. They moved to La Jolla in the early 1950s where he became the chairman of the Accelerator Physics Department at General Atomic.
At SAIC, Dr. Beyster put into practice his entrepreneurial philosophy: "Those who contribute to the company should own it, and ownership should be commensurate with a person's contribution and performance." SAIC grew from a handful of scientists to the largest employee-owned research and engineering firm in the United States.
Dr. Beyster is survived by Betty, his wife of 59 years; daughter, Mary Ann of La Jolla; sons, Jim of San Diego and Mark of Las Vegas; two grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and a sister, Virginia.
A private, family memorial service was held at Greenwood Memorial in San Diego on Friday, December 26, 2014. A public service will be announced in the new year on his blog at beyster.com. Comments are welcomed.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Salvation Army Door of Hope in San Diego; Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation for scholarships; or the Foundation for Enterprise Development to support employee ownership.