MIT World Speakers

Irwin Mark Jacobs SM '57, PhD '59

Irwin Mark Jacobs pioneered the development and commercialization of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) digital wireless technology. He served as chief executive officer of Qualcomm until July 2005.

Jacobs previously served as co-founder, president, CEO and chairman of LINKABIT Corporation, directing its growth from a few part-time employees in 1969 to more than 1,400 employees in 1985, and the first introduction of Ku-band Very Small Aperture Earth Terminals (VSATs), commercial TDMA wireless phones, and the VideoCipher® satellite-to-home TV system. LINKABIT merged with M/A-COM in August 1980. More than 35 San Diego telecommunications companies, including Qualcomm, trace their roots back to LINKABIT.

From 1959 to 1966, Jacobs was an assistant/associate professor of electrical engineering at MIT. From 1966 to 1972 he served as a professor of computer science and engineering at the University of California, San Diego. At MIT, Jacobs co-authored a basic textbook on digital communications entitled, Principles of Communication Engineering.

Jacobs has received numerous honors, including the National Medal of Technology Award in 1994 -- the highest award bestowed by the president of the United States for extraordinary achievements in the commercialization of technology, or the development of human resources that foster technology. He earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1956 from Cornell University and his S.M. and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from MIT.