Manufacturer of semiconductors
Est: 1939
Headquarters: Horsham, PN
Founded by: Milton Jerrold Shapp
General Instruments was founded in 1939 manufacturing diodes, transistors, and logic chips and had several divisions that served the horse racing industry, ocean floor mapping, and cable TV. General Instruments eventually would spin off several companies including Microchip Technology, Inc., Commscope, and General Semiconductor. Vishay eventually bought out General Semi in 2001 and General Instrument itself was purchased by Motorola in 2000 for $17 billion. Jerrold was GI's cable TV brand from 1948 into the 1990's and was named after founder, Milton Jerrold Shapp (Pennsylvanias' 40th governor in 1971). In the early 1990's, Donald Rumsfeld served as CEO between his tenures as the 13th and 21st Secretary of Defense