| Found in | NUCMC data from Computer History Museum, Mountain View, Calif., for Mike Markkula collection of early Apple Computer material, 1977-1998 (Armas Clifford (Mike) Markkula, Jr. was born February 11, 1942 in Los Angeles, California. Markkula attended Glendale Junior College for two years before transferring to the University of Southern California where he earned his bachelor's (1964) and master's degrees (1966) in electrical engineering. While an undergraduate student Markkula began working at Hughes Aircraft Company in the Research and Development Laboratory. He continued with Hughes until graduation, when he accepted a position with Fairchild Semiconductor as a product marketing manager. After approximately four years Markkula left Fairchild to join Intel as a marketing director. In 1974, at the age of 32, Markkula retired on the basis of stock options. In 1977, Markkula was introduced to Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak through Don Valentine. Markkula was so impressed by the computer that Steve Wozniak had designed and built that he offered to help write a business plan. Shortly thereafter Markkula invested in Apple and began working for the company, bringing business experience and connections in the venture capital industry to the company. As the third employee, he not only helped to manage the company, but he also mentored the young founders during Apple's early period of extreme growth. In addition, Markkula wrote some of the early software programs for the Apple II under the pseudonym Johnny Appleseed. Markkula was Apple's second CEO from 1981 to 1983, and served as chairman from 1985 to 1997, when he again retired. In 1986, Markkula provided the initial funding for what is now known as the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. Since his retirement from Apple, Markkula has continued to act as an angel investor in a range of companies, including Echelon Corporation.)
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