Roy L. Clay Sr. is a name that every technology enthusiast must know. Born in Kinloch, Missouri, Clay had an inquisitive mind and a passion for mathematics from an early age. He pursued his education at St. Louis University and completed his degree in mathematics in 1949. However, it was his move to California that proved to be a turning point in his life, with newfound opportunities that would set him on the path of making history in the computing industry.
Clay began his career as a computer programmer for Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in 1955, where he honed his skills and expertise in programming and computation. He worked tirelessly and eventually got noticed, securing a position at Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 1961. Little did he know, this was the start of a legendary chapter in his life.
At HP, Clay was appointed to lead the team that developed the HP 2116A minicomputer, which he wrote the software for. The HP 2116A was the first computer to use integrated circuits, which made it lighter and more compact. Before then, computers were massive and required lots of space to function, making it impractical for personal use. The HP 2116A changed all that, paving the way for the personal computing revolution which would change the world forever.
Thanks to the development of the HP 2116A, there was a faster, more efficient way of both storing and processing data. In fact, the positive reception of this breakthrough product led HP to launch a range of new devices and technologies that helped build the company into one of the most successful tech giants of our time. Clay played an instrumental role in this success, thanks to his complex programming and coding that made the HP 2116A a viable product.
Clay’s achievement in the development of the HP 2116A cannot be overstated. He defied the odds and broke down barriers as one of the first African-American engineers to ascend to a leadership position in a major tech company. Besides working at HP and founding his own company, Rod-L Electronics, the inventor of the automated Dielectric Withstand (Hipot) Tester, and world leader in development of electrical safety testing equipment, Clay contributed his knowledge and expertise to a variety of Silicon Valley companies throughout his career.
In the mid-1970s, Clay identified a solution for his corporate friends: Underwriters Laboratories was introducing an electrical safety test for electrical products to prevent fire and shock. Without hesitation, he reached out to HP, IBM, AT&T and Xerox with his proposal. Upon agreement from each partner board of directors, Clay began developing an automated dielectric withstand tester for the end of their production lines.
Soon after installation, these computer companies proudly put a “Rod-L” sticker on their products as seal of approval. As Clay himself happily states “If it didn’t have Rod-L on that rear panel, it meant it was not a real IBM computer!” Moreover, this label has become one of cognitive representatives of Clay’s ingenuity in the tech industry.
It is no surprise that Clay was inducted into the Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame in 2003. However, his paramount contribution remained being the African Giant behind the HP 2116A minicomputer – a product that changed the face of computing and paved the way for the modern technological revolution.
Roy L. Clay Sr. was a true innovator, leader, and pioneer who, despite facing discrimination and prejudice, persevered to achieve greatness in an industry that was still in its infancy. The world of computing owes much of its present state to the groundbreaking work of Roy L. Clay Sr. – an unsung hero whose legacy will inspire generations of engineers and innovators.
