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Four facts about Frank Greene, the African American who invented the world’s fastest memory chip

He built and patented the integrated circuit that made Fairchild a leader in the semiconductor industry, as reported by Santa Clara University. Here are four facts about Greene you must know.

One of the first African-American students to graduate from Washington University

He was, first and foremost, born in Washington, D.C. to Frank S. Greene Sr. and Irma Olivia Swygert. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri in a largely segregated setting. His social reality made him place a premium on the civil rights movement.

He became one of the first African-American students to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis. He received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and applied to Purdue University for his graduate studies. He earned his master’s degree in electrical engineering in 1962 and later enlisted in the United States Air Force.

He built the fastest memory chip

Greene became the first African-American cadet to graduate from the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program and rose to become an air force captain before his voluntary retirement. He built high-performance computers for the national security agency as an electronics officer. He also built the fastest memory chip during his time with the Fairchild Semiconductor team.

He began his doctoral research at Santa Clara University while in the Air Force. He obtained his doctorate in electrical engineering in 1970. He was the first African American to be appointed to the position of trustee at the University.

He pioneered many startups with a primary focus on women

Greene established the tech company, Technology Development Corporation. The objective of the entity was to conduct research and develop engineering services for the U.S. government. It built the avionics equipment for the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, a communication system for scuba divers, and a space shuttle program for the federal government.

Greene later founded ZeroOne Systems. It is a supercomputing systems house. Just two years into its operation, the company’s annual revenue hit $15 million.

In 1986, Greene founded NewVista Capital, a venture capital firm that pioneered many start-ups with a primary focus on women and minority business owners. He was given prominence in an exhibit at Palo Alto City as one of the 50 most important Black tech giants in 2009.

His scholars program helped improve science and maths education

Inventor Greene set up a scholarship program in memory of his wife Phyllis Greene’s contribution to the activities of the NAACP. Greene was interested in building and empowering African-American engineers to break ground in the technological space.

His Frank S. Greene scholars program ensured that all participants ended up in college. The scholars program entailed a science fair, an engineering competition, a career day, parent enrichment workshops, and monthly classes.

 

Source: face2faceafrica.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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