Robert F. Hartmann

Outstanding Achievement Award Recipient

College of Science and Engineering, October 28, 2011

Robert F. Hartmann received a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering in the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota in 1965. He is described as an exemplary business founder, design engineer, and business developer, whose pioneering work on programmable logic circuits provided the technology industry with fast, efficient, high-density applications. His career began as a design engineer and design manager at several leading chip manufacturers including North American Rockwell and Fairchild Semiconductor. In 1980, he co-founded and served as president of Source III, Inc., San Jose, California. In 1983, Source III, Inc., morphed into Altera Corporation where he served as Vice President of Engineering, responsible for leading all of the initial product concept and design work. He is credited with assisting in raising $23.2 million in start-up funds; serving as part of an executive team that guided the company to go public in 1988; and, helping the company to grow to an annual revenue of $100 million with 923 employees by 1994. Currently, the company has about $2 billion in annual revenue and 2,600 employees. He has seven U.S. patents and has brought nine products to market during his tenure at Altera. His commitment to his College and the University of Minnesota has been demonstrated through his establishment of the Robert F. Hartmann Scholarship Fund and the Robert F. Hartmann Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Biographies are as-of time of award presentation.