Packard attended Stanford University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He then proceeded to take a position in the General Electric Company. Around this time, he developed a strong desire to get himself involved with the rapidly-advancing field of technology. As a result, he went back to Stanford University and obtained a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering. Stanford proved to be a memorable place for Packard as this was where he met the two persons that would change his life forever – Lucille Salter, his future wife, and William R. Hewlett, his future business partner.
In 1939, Packard, along with Hewlett, founded the Hewlett-Packard in his garage starting only with a $538 investment. The dynamic duo decided to abbreviate the company’s name to HP instead of PH by way of flipping a coin. The first product they created and marketed was a sound oscillator utilized in Walt Disney Productions’ Fantasia. During World War II, the company manufactured a wide range of aviation and nautical devices as well as radios, radars and sonars.
Through Packard’s almost seamless administration and Hewlett’s expertise on advanced technology, the company grew to become one of the largest producers of electrical testing and measurement devices. It also went on to expand its product line which now includes computers, laptops, netbooks, laser and inkjet printers, and calculators.
Aside from managing his company, Packard also busied himself with a number of philanthropic projects which include founding the Aquarium Research Institute and David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Packard died on the 26th of March 1996 at 83 years of age. Around this time, his company was already worth more than one billion dollars.