Patrick J. McGovern, founder of the International Data Group, died on Wednesday at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto, California. At this moment in time, it is not certain what the cause of death was, but what is certain however, he will be gravely missed.
"IDG has lost a true visionary, and the IT community has lost one of its most exceptional citizens," said newly elected IDG board chairman Walter Boyd. "Pat's foremost desire was for IDG to make the world a better place through the medium of information technology. He created a unique workplace where we have the outstanding leadership team in place to ensure that the company he created will continue to grow and prosper."
McGovern was a true visionary as he was a true believer in the power of technology and the need to educate people about it. It's because of McGovern, why technology-oriented websites such as Tech Times and countless others exists today. He's the reason why you have the ability to read about Morpheus, Sony's VR headset, and the announcement of Microsoft's DirectX 12 update.
It pains our hearts here at Tech Times, and our thoughts and well wishes goes out to his family and friends.
Interesting facts about the life Patrick J. McGovern
Many people might not have known this, but McGovern had a strong passion for brain research, which eventually brought about the existence of the McGovern Institute for Brain Research, that was created by MIT. It wasn't possible though without a $350 million donation by McGovern and his wife.
McGovern was also a MIT graduate, and even had the ability to remember the names of his employees at IDG even as the numbers grew into the thousands. It's something that shows his prowess as a leader and someone who is worth looking up to.
His love for IT publishing came to be after he landed a part-time editorial job at a technology publication called Computers and Automation. After graduating from MIT in 1959, McGovern made his part-time job full-time experience.
Since McGovern is a person that usually stays behind the scenes, you might not have realized that he received the Robert L. Krakoff lifetime achievement award back in 2008. He received two lifetime achievement awards before that; one in 2004, and another in 2008.
Another thing you might not have known is the fact that McGovern invested in China. He managed to establish one of the first ventures between a U.S. company and the Republic of China back in 1980. Furthermore, in 1992, he established one of the first venture capitals in China, known as the International Data Group Technology Ventures.
