The creation of one of the industry’s great partnerships – between Bob Widlar and Bob Dobkin – is described in the History of Semiconductor Engineering by Bo Lojek.
In 1969, Widlar was renowned as the greatest circuit designer in the world having brought out the LM100 and LM101 in the preceding two years.
“I am getting letters from the kid in the East who constantly criticised my designs or offered ways to improve them,” recounted Widlar, “after a few letters I got ticked of this guy and I called him.”
The kid from the East was Dobkin who was then working in Massachusetts.
They met up in a bar.
Next morning Dobkin threw up.
A month later he was working alongside Widlar at National Semiconductor.
To this day Dobkin maintains that his great friend Widlar was the finest circuit designer in the history of the industry.
Source: electronicweekly
