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Gold Company lands prestigious Silicon Valley gig

April 29, 2009

KALAMAZOO--Gold Company, Western Michigan University's celebrated vocal jazz ensemble, will provide the entertainment at a May 2 California gala celebrating the 50th anniversary of the integrated circuit and honoring 15 pioneers in the field.

Gold Company will perform at the National Inventors Hall of Fame 2009 Induction Ceremony Gala at the Silicon Valley Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif. Among those being honored will be longtime Intel Corp. leader Andy Grove, who will receive the hall of fame's prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.

Many dignitaries are expected to attend the black-tie dinner and induction, which will feature Neal Conan, host of "Talk of the Nation" on National Public Radio, as master of ceremonies.

"We are extremely honored to be able to accept this invitation and represent Western Michigan University at this high-profile event," says Dr. Stephen Zegree, Gold Company director and the WMU Bobby McFerrin Professor of Jazz. Zegree and his singers fly out on April 30 for two days of rehearsal before their performance.

Dedicated to recognizing inventors and innovation, the National Inventors Hall of Fame is holding the annual induction ceremony in Silicon Valley for the first time because of the 50th anniversary. The 2009 class of inductees, announced last month in Washington, D.C., is comprised of 15 innovators who pioneered advances related to or enabled by the integrated circuit.

As the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Grove is being recognized for his contributions to invention and technical innovation in the semiconductor industry. Along with 2009 inductee Gordon Moore, he participated in the founding of Intel Corporation in 1968 and served successively as president, CEO and chairman of the company from 1979 to 2005.

"The world we live in today is scarcely imaginable without the contributions of Andy Grove and all 15 of this year's inductees," says James Pooley, National Inventors Hall of Fame chairman.

For more information, visit the National Inventors Hall of Fame online.

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Media contact: Mark Schwerin, (269) 387-8400, mark.schwerin@wmich.edu

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