Ann Schmeltz Bowers, a technology industry executive pioneer and longtime philanthropist who inspired the founding of the UC Noyce Initiative, died on January 24, 2024, at her home in Palo Alto, California. She was 86. Bowers was a business executive who served as the first director of personnel for Intel Corporation and the first vice president of human resources for Apple, Inc. She also was the wife of the late Robert N. Noyce, Ph.D., who was the co- founder of Intel and inventor of the integrated circuit, which fueled the personal computer revolution and gave Silicon Valley its name.
From a Blue-collar Town Onto Cornell Born in Pennsylvania on November 27, 1937, Bowers grew up in the blue-collar town of Oakmont and spent her summers near Long Island Sound where she learned to sail and play the piano. Known for her small frame, quick mind and blunt manner, Bowers attended Cornell University and served as her dormitory’s president and a yearbook editor. She graduated in 1959 with double majors in English and psychology. She would later earn an honorary Ph.D. in public service from Santa Clara University in 2000.
A Trail Blazer in Tech Bowers was a trail blazer in tech in her own right by being one of the only female executives in the semiconductor industry during the founding of the tech industry in the 1960s. She became head of personnel for Intel in 1969 when she was in her early 30s. In this position, Bowers oversaw recruitment, benefits, salary, training and performance reviews as Intel grew from 200 to 2500 employees. She helped lead Intel through several attempts by outside entities to unionize the company. Her efforts helped create a lasting culture at Intel and, indirectly, at tech companies throughout Silicon Valley of employees receive competitive compensation packages – a benefit that many in the tech industry enjoy to this day. Bowers’ first job out of college was working as a management trainee at the Macy’s store in Union Square. Bowers was drawn to a career in retail because she observed that “it was one of the few businesses in which women wielded any real authority,” according to a 2004 interview with Leslie Berlin, author of The Man Behind the Microchip. Bowers worked for three years as the head of personnel at a small, laser and medical equipment startup and two years as a teacher in San Jose before joining Intel.
“Ann was a forward-thinking leader who dedicated much of her life to fostering and creating environments where technologists and innovators could thrive,” said Kavita Bala, the inaugural dean of Cornell University Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science, in a Cornell University press release. “Her commitment to building a culture of creativity, excellence and collaboration will forever be remembered.” Marrying Robert Noyce Bowers met Noyce while working at Intel and the couple were married on November 27, 1975 as part of the Noyce family’s Thanksgiving dinner and on Bowers’ 38th birthday. The two were married for about 15 years until Noyce passed away from a stroke on June 3, 1990. An Entrepreneur then Apple Soon after marrying Noyce, Bowers left Intel to start her own human resources consulting firm. She also co-founded the California Electronics Association to help small electronics companies with
Ann Bowers and Robert Noyce
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