Our Founder
When he founded Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) in 1969, Dr. J. Robert Beyster could have followed the more traditional American process of closely holding the stock of the company among himself and a top layer of senior management. Instead, he chose from the very beginning to reward the performance of employees with stock ownership.
"Someone who is involved with the company should own a piece of it," says Dr. Beyster. "Those who really perform well are rewarded by having their stock increased. People involved in the company should share in its success."
He believes that as a result of the employee ownership philosophy, SAIC has become one of the largest and fastest-growing employee-owned companies in the world. When he started SAIC, Dr. Beyster had little idea that he would build a company that 35 years later would have 44,000 employees and over $6.7 billion in revenues.
His belief in employee ownership led him to create the Beyster Institute, a nonprofit organization he formed in 1986 to foster employee ownership, entrepreneurship and participation worldwide. Dr. Beyster believes that applying the methods used to develop SAIC - employee ownership, entrepreneurship and participation - can make a real difference in the economic lives of the people everywhere.
SAIC was founded as a scientific consulting firm with a handful of government contracts for nuclear power and nuclear weapons effects study programs. "I was not the brilliant, flash-of-inspiration type of entrepreneur," says Dr. Beyster. "I was more of a persistent, builder type. Rather than having a grand design, we started with some contracts and a few people with ideas, and growth started to snowball."
As SAIC grew, Dr. Beyster fought to preserve the values that had made the early SAIC successful -- employee ownership, entrepreneurism, a flexible and decentralized organization structure, technical excellence, high standards of ethical conduct, and a firm belief in customer service. He retired from the company in 2004.
Dr. Beyster received his B.S.E., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Engineering and Physics from the University of Michigan. He began his career in the early 1950's as a senior scientist at Westinghouse. He then worked as a physicist at Los Alamos National Scientific Laboratory.
He joined General Atomics in 1957 as chairman of the Accelerator Physics Department, where his research on neutron thermalization led to the publication of a book entitled Slow Neutron Scattering and Thermalization by Park, Nelkin, Beyster and Wikner. Dr. Beyster has written or co-authored approximately 60 publications and reports.
His many professional associations allow Dr. Beyster to extend his influence to a wide circle of business and academia. A fellow of the American Nuclear Society, he has served as chairman of the Society's Reactor Physics Department and Shielding Division. He is also a fellow of the American Physical Society and a member of the Scientific Advisory Group to the Director of the Strategic Planning Staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. A vigorous supporter of education, Dr. Beyster endowed the J. Robert Beyster Chair in Engineering and the Science Applications International Corporation Chair in Engineering at the UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering.
Dr. Beyster has written or coauthored approximately 60 publications and reports. As the result of his professional and business success, he has earned recognition and received numerous awards:
- On June 17, 2003, Dr. Beyster received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Ernst & Young.
- San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce honored Dr. Beyster by presenting him with its prestigious "Spirit of San Diego" Award on February 5, 2001. This annual award is given to individuals who exemplify the true spirit of giving to their community.
- In October 2000, he was selected by the American Society of Engineering Management (ASEM) as the "Engineering Manager of the Year. "
- On March 31, 2000 Dr. Beyster received The Prestigious Next Millennium Award for excellence in education. This award was part of the 23rd Annual Leavey Awards for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education.
- He received the Defense Special Weapons Agency (DSWA) Lifetime Achievement Award on February 7, 2000.
- He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest professional distinctions accorded an engineer, in 1989.
- He received a "Lifetime Achievement Award" from the CONNECT Program in Technology and Entrepreneurship of the University of California, San Diego in 1994.
- He was named a national "Supporter of Entrepreneurism" by Venture Magazine in 1988.
On the personal side, Dr. Beyster is an avid sailor and has been active in support of the International America's Cup Class sailboat races for many years. As a result of his efforts, the company has contributed scientific talent and technology - much of it derived from the company's work for the U.S. Navy - to U.S. syndicates that were either challenging or defending the America's Cup. Dr. Beyster is a unique leader who inspired a unique company to prepare for continued success in the 21st century.
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