CONNECT to Induct Dr. J. Robert Beyster of SAIC into Entrepreneur Hall of Fame on March 20.

Recognized Authority on National Security and Reactor Physics to be Honored for 40 Years of Business, Technology, Civic Achievements

SAN DIEGO -- CONNECT, one of the nation's most successful regional economic development programs for life science innovators, inventors and entrepreneurs, will induct Dr. J. Robert Beyster into the CONNECT Entrepreneur Hall of Fame on March 20.

Dr. Beyster, founder and retired chairman and CEO of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) and founder and chairman of The Beyster Institute and The Foundation for Enterprise Development, will be honored for his professional and personal contributions to San Diego's thriving technology community.

"Dr. Beyster has made considerable contributions to the growth of science and technology in our region and also to a wide range of civic activities," said CONNECT CEO Duane Roth. "We have benefited immensely from his commitment to research, education and community service and I am honored to induct him into CONNECT's Entrepreneur Hall of Fame."

Recognized as CONNECT's highest honor, induction into the Hall of Fame celebrates San Diego's entrepreneurial heroes who have paved the way for today's technological innovations and businesses, and who continue to inspire future generations of entrepreneurs. CONNECT honors two Hall of Fame recipients each year during two luncheons, where the inductee tells his or her story to the audience during live one-on-one interviews.

Born and raised in Michigan, Dr. Beyster attended the University of Michigan, where he was enrolled in the V12 Officer Training Program of the U.S. Navy. He was commissioned as an ensign, and eventually served on a destroyer based in Norfolk, Va., before leaving the service six months later. Beyster received a B.S.E. in engineering and physics in 1945, a master's degree in physics in 1947, and a doctorate in physics in 1950 -- all from the University of Michigan.

In the early 1950s, Dr. Beyster worked briefly for the Westinghouse Atomic Power Division on the company's nuclear submarine program. He soon followed many of his college associates to New Mexico to work as a research physicist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. In 1957, he relocated to San Diego to chair the Accelerator Physics Department of General Atomic and left the company when it was purchased by Gulf Oil in 1968.

In 1969, Dr. Beyster raised money to start Science Applications, Inc. (SAI) by investing the proceeds from selling stock he had received from General Atomic, combined with funds raised from other employees who bought stock in the young enterprise. The company was renamed Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) as it expanded its operations.

Today, SAIC is the largest employee-owned research and engineering company in the United States. Dr. Beyster was Chairman of the Board until his retirement in July 2004, and also served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) until November 2003. Initially the company's focus was on projects for the U.S. government related to nuclear power and weapons effects study programs. Contrary to traditional business models, Dr. Beyster designed SAIC so that ownership of the company and profits belonged to the company's employees. This shared ownership was accompanied by shared responsibility and freedom in business development, attracting highly intelligent and motivated entrepreneurs that helped the company to grow and diversify. Today, SAIC performs projects for commercial and government customers related to information technology, systems integration, eSolutions, national and homeland security, energy, the environment, space, telecommunications, health care, and logistics. When Dr. Beyster retired in 2004, the company had annual revenues of $6.7 billion and more than 43,000 employees.

Committed to education, Dr. Beyster has written or co-authored approximately 60 publications and reports, as well as the recent book, The SAIC Solution: How We Built an $8 Billion Employee-Owned Technology Company. A fellow of the American Nuclear Society, Dr. Beyster has served as Chairman of its Reactor Physics Division and Shielding Division. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group to the Director, Strategic Target Planning Staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He also serves as Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Directors of the University of California San Diego Foundation.

The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency designated Dr. Beyster an Honorary Program Manager for his distinguished contributions to the agency over his career. He received the Engineering Manager of the Year Award in 2000 from the American Society of Engineering Management, the 2001 Spirit of San Diego Award from the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Lifetime Achievement Award from Ernst & Young in 2003, and the "Supporter of Entrepreneurialism" award from Arthur Young and Venture magazine -- at their Entrepreneur of the Year awards ceremony -- for his efforts to support and promote entrepreneurship.

In 2006, the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC) recognized Dr. Beyster with the Herb Klein Civic Leadership Award for his outstanding leadership in addressing regional challenges through collaboration with public, private and civic partners. Dr. Beyster is the recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the University of California, San Diego's CONNECT program for providing 25 years of outstanding service to the community. The Horatio Alger Association for Distinguished Americans selected Dr. Beyster to be a 2008 Horatio Alger Award recipient. This honor is bestowed upon those individuals who have overcome adversity to achieve great successes through the American free enterprise system.

In recent years, he extended his commitment to the American business community by founding two nonprofit organizations to assist organizations considering employee ownership -- The Beyster Institute and The Foundation for Enterprise Development.

Dr. Beyster will be honored on March 20 at a luncheon from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Estancia La Jolla Hotel and Spa. Those interested in attending should visit http://connect.kintera.org/beysterhalloffame or contact CONNECT at 858-964-1300.

About CONNECT:

CONNECT is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating and sustaining the growth of innovative technology and life science businesses in San Diego. Since 1985, CONNECT has assisted in the formation and development of over 1,200 companies and is widely regarded as the nation's most successful regional program linking inventors and entrepreneurs with the resources they need for success. Its programs include: Springboard, Venture Roundtable, Frontiers in Science and Technology, FrameWorks, CEO Strategy Forum, and Connect with CONNECT; affiliate programs with The Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology (CCAT), Tech Coast Angels (TCA), Wireless-life Sciences Alliance, and MIT Enterprise Forum (MITEF); and its awards and recognition programs, Hall of Fame, and The Most Innovative Products (MIP) Awards.