James C. Morgan is chairman emeritus of Applied Materials. He previously served as chairman of the board from 1987 to 2009 and as chief executive officer from 1977 to 2003. Prior to joining Applied Materials as president in 1976, he was a senior partner with WestVen Management, a private venture capital partnership affiliated with the Bank of America Corporation. Prior to WestVen, he was with Textron, a leading diversified manufacturing company.

With one of the longest tenures of any FORTUNE 500 CEO, Mr. Morgan has an extensive history in business and philanthropy. Mr. Morgan is a recipient of the 1996 National Medal of Technology for his industry leadership and for his vision in building Applied Materials into the world's leading semiconductor equipment company, a major exporter and a global technology pioneer which helps enable the Information Age. Awarded by the President of the United States, the Medal of Technology recognizes technological innovators who have made lasting contributions to America's competitiveness and standard of living. Among his many honors, Mr. Morgan is a recipient of the prestigious IEEE Robert N. Noyce Medal for his vision and leadership that transformed Applied Materials into an innovation leader and global partner for advancing microelectronics manufacturing technology. He received the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA)’s Robert N. Noyce Award, the association’s highest honor, for outstanding achievement and leadership in support of the U.S. semiconductor industry; and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group Spirit of Silicon Valley Lifetime Achievement Award for his ethics, community engagement and business success.

In 2003, Mr. Morgan was sworn in by President George W. Bush as vice chairman of the President's Export Council, the premier national advisory body on international trade. He was appointed to the 2002 U.S.-Japan Private Sector Government Commission and co-chaired the sessions on corporate governance. From 1996 to 1997, Mr. Morgan served on the Commission on U.S.-Pacific Trade and Investment Policy which advised President Bill Clinton and Congress on steps the United States should take to achieve significant additional market access and improve trade relationships in the Asia-Pacific region. From 1988 to 1992, he served on the National Advisory Committee on Semiconductors, which advised President George H. W. Bush and Congress on a national strategy to strengthen competitiveness of the U.S. semiconductor industry.

Mr. Morgan has been recognized around the world for his leadership in the community. As co-founders of the Northern Sierra Partnership, Jim and his wife Becky have focused their efforts on conserving bio-diverse land in the California Sierra Nevada Mountains. He is active with the Nature Conservancy, a global nonprofit organization which focuses on programs “Protecting Nature and Preserving Life”, serving as a member of the board of directors, past co-chair of its Asia-Pacific Council, and as a trustee of the Nature Conservancy of California. Mr. Morgan is an advisory board member for the Center for Science, Technology, and Society at Santa Clara University. Instrumental in the creation of the Tech Museum Awards which launched in 2000, Mr. Morgan inspired the program’s James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award, which honors individuals whose broad vision and leadership help address humanity’s greatest challenges. He formerly was a member of the board of directors of Cisco Systems, Inc. from 1998 to 2006 and is director emeritus and past president of Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI), the first global trade association. Mr. Morgan is a past board member of the American Electronics Association (AEA), the National Center for APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) and of SEMI/SEMATECH, the association of U.S. equipment companies which supplies advanced systems to the SEMATECH chipmaking consortium. Mr. Morgan is a member of the World Presidents' Organization. From 1994 to 1996, he was a board member of Joint Venture: Silicon Valley, a leading community public/private collaborative. From 1986 to 1991 he was co-chairman of the Japan-Western U.S. Association. Mr. Morgan's contributions have been honored by many business, education and community organizations throughout his career.

Selected Awards, Accomplishments and Honors (1990 - present)

• Robert N. Noyce Medal 2010, IEEE
• Spirit of Silicon Valley Lifetime Achievement Award 2006, Silicon Valley Leadership Group
• Robert N. Noyce Award 2006, SIA
• National Medal of Technology, awarded by President Bill Clinton
• Named one of "The Good CEOs" by BusinessWeek Magazine Named one of the top 5 "Best CEOs" in America by Worth Magazine
• Named one of the "Top 10 CEOs" by Investor's Business Daily
• "The Ten Most Influential People in Silicon Valley", San Jose Mercury News
• International Citizen of the Year, World Forum of Silicon Valley
• Global Humanitarian Award, The Tech Museum of Innovation
• Global Pioneer Award, Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI)
• Bay Area Business Hall of Fame, Bay Area Council
• Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network, first chairman of the advisory board
• Community Service Award, National Conference for Community and Justice
• Junior Achievement Hall of Fame, Junior Achievement of Santa Clara County
• Corporate Community Involvement Award, Community Foundation Silicon Valley
• Award of Honor, Japan Society of Northern California
• Honorary Doctorate in Engineering, Santa Clara University
• Award of Distinction, De Anza College
• National Friendship Award, People's Republic of China
• Honorary Citizen, Shanghai Municipal Government
• Magnolia Award, Shanghai Municipal Government
• Special Award, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan
• Special Award, Environmental Business Cluster, Peninsula Conservation Foundation
• Founding board member, Applied Materials-Shanghai Research and Development Fund
• Outstanding Grantmaker, National Society of Fundraising Executives, (in both Santa Clara, California and Austin, Texas)

Recognition for Applied Materials

• "100 Best Corporate Citizens", Business Ethics
• "50 Best Performers", BusinessWeek
• "The Super 100", Forbes
• "Biggest Best Companies", Forbes 
• "America's Most Admired Companies", Fortune
• Top Ten "Total Return to Shareholders", Fortune
• "Best Companies for Asians, Blacks and Hispanics", Fortune
• "100 Best Companies to Work For", Fortune
• "World's 100 Best Managed Companies", Industry Week
• "100 Most Important Companies in the World", Red Herring
• "100 Top Companies of the Electronic Economy", Red Herring
• Shareholder Scoreboard "Honor Roll", The Wall Street Journal