Alex d’Arbeloff named to Whitehead Institute Board of Directors

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Teradyne, Inc. founder and former Chairman of the MIT Corporation Alex d’Arbeloff has been named to the Board of Directors for Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. d’Arbeloff is presently a professor of practice at MIT’s Sloan School of Management and honorary chairman of the MIT Corporation.

d’Arbeloff is perhaps best known for his role in founding Boston-based Teradyne, Inc. and growing it into one of the world’s leading makers of semiconductor test equipment. In 1966, Teradyne introduced the first integrated circuit tester to use a minicomputer to control a series of test steps, and in doing so, launched the automatic test equipment industry. Under his leadership, Teradyne sales experienced almost hundred-fold growth from $13 million in 1971 to $1.2 billion when he stepped down as CEO in 1996.

“Whitehead is very pleased to welcome Alex d’Arbeloff to its Board of Directors,” says Board Chair Maxine Singer. “Alex is a tremendously talented leader, as evidenced by his remarkable career in industry, his leadership at MIT, and myriad contributions to the Boston health care community.”

d’Arbeloff received the S.B. degree in management from MIT in 1949. He has been a member of the MIT Corporation since 1989, and was Chairman of the Corporation from 1997 to 2003. d’Arbeloff recently was named the 2004 Golden Door Award recipient by the International Institute of Boston. The Golden Door Award honors a U.S. citizen of foreign birth who has made extraordinary contributions to American society.

“Alex has an expansive understanding of our community. He comes to our Board not as an outsider, but as someone who is intimately aware of Whitehead Institute and its mission, and we know that his contribution to our endeavor will be great. We are simply thrilled to welcome Alex aboard,” says Whitehead Director Susan Lindquist.

In 1993, d’Arbeloff and his wife, Brit d’Arbeloff, established the Alex and Brit d’Arbeloff Fund for Excellence in MIT Education. The fund supports innovations in science and engineering education at MIT.

d’Arbeloff also serves on the board of several start-up companies in the Boston area and is the former chairman of the Massachusetts High Technology Council and is teaching classes at MIT’s Sloan School of Management and within the Department of Mechanical Engineering. d’Arbeloff has been a member of Whitehead Institute’s Board of Associates since 1997.

“I am honored to be asked to join the Whitehead Board,” says d’Arbeloff. “It is consistent with my interests in health, research and education. I will do my best to contribute to Whitehead’s success in coming years.”