Description
The Varian Associates Records, 1948-1998, document the history of this innovative and successful Silicon Valley pioneer from
its inception in 1948 until just prior to its division into three separate companies in 1999. The bulk of the collection consists
of minutes from the meetings of the board of directors. Also included are reports to the board, acquisition and joint venture
studies, writings by Russell Varian related to the company, presentations by the board, files on subsidiary companies, company
publications, and promotional and marketing materials.
Background
Varian Associates was formed in San Carlos, California in 1948 by Edward L. Ginzton, William W. Hansen, Richard M. Leonard,
Leonard I. Shiff, H. Myrl Stearns, Dorothy Varian, Russell H. Varian, Sigurd F. Varian, and Paul B. Hunter, with $22,000 of
capital and six full-time employees. In founding Varian Associates, the directors wanted to create a science-based company,
managed by scientists, where the decisions would be made by the scientists and engineers who carried out the work. The founding
members had worked together for years, first on the klystron at Stanford University and later at the Sperry Gyroscope Company
laboratory in Garden City, NY. during WWII. They chose the name "Varian" as Russell Varian was well known in the scientific
community as the inventor of the klystron, a specialized vacuum tube, in 1937. The klystron, with its extremely focused electron
beam, was a key element in the development of airborne radar.
Restrictions
Copyright has been assigned to The Bancroft Library. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must
be submitted in writing to the appropriate curator or the Head of Public Services for forwarding. Permission for publication
is given on behalf of The Bancroft Library as the owner of the physical items and the copyright.