Roy Clay Sr., a profound leader in the technology industry whose influence reigned over Silicon Valley for 50 years , passed away at 95, USA Today reports . Clay’s family confirmed he died in his Oakland, California, home on Sept. 29 after dealing with declining health issues.
Clay was awarded at BLACK ENTERPRISE ’s first TechConnext Summit back in 2015.
Known as a key component to the development of the personal computer and tech giant Hewlett-Packard, Clay was nicknamed the “godfather of Silicon Valley” for his role in breaking down racial barriers in a predominately white industry.
He was the first African American to start a tech company, ROD-L Electronics, in 1977. He used his talents to recruit diverse engineers, including math and science graduates from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
Accredited technology leaders like Ken Coleman label Clay as one of the many forgotten hidden figures in the tech world and says his contributions should be celebrated at all costs.