IDG Founder and Chairman Patrick J. McGovern dies at 76

News

By IDG staff

March 20, 2014 08:30 AM ET

IDG News Service - International Data Group (IDG) announced Thursday with great sadness that its Founder and Chairman, Patrick J. McGovern, died March 19, 2014, at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto, California.

"IDG has lost a true visionary, and the IT community has lost one of its most exceptional citizens," said newly elected IDG board chairman, Walter Boyd. "Pat's foremost desire was for IDG to make the world a better place through the medium of information technology. He created a unique workplace where we have the outstanding leadership team in place to ensure that the company he created will continue to grow and prosper."

A Career Dedicated to Information on Information Technology

Patrick Joseph McGovern, known as "Pat," was born Aug. 11, 1937, in Queens, New York, and spent the majority of his childhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His career in publishing began while he was a student at MIT, when he applied for a part-time editorial job at Computers and Automation -- the first U.S. computer magazine. After his graduation from MIT in 1959 with a degree in biophysics, he was promptly named Associate Editor and became Associate Publisher.

In 1964, with the computer industry still in its infancy, McGovern founded International Data Corporation (IDC), now an IDG subsidiary, to provide the industry with timely and reliable statistics on information technology markets. Three years later, McGovern launched Computerworld, a weekly print publication dedicated to keeping computer buyers apprised of industry and product news. Computerworld became IDG's flagship publication, and in 1972, McGovern began exporting the Computerworld concept, launching Shukan Computer in Japan.

Over a span of 50 years, McGovern oversaw IDG's launch of more than 300 magazines and newspapers and championed the expansion of IDG's network to include more than 460 websites, 200 mobile apps and 700 events worldwide. Today, IDG brands are found in 97 countries and include CIO, CSO, Computerworld, GamePro, IDC, IDG Connect, IDG TechNetwork, IDG World Expo, InfoWorld, Macworld, Network World, PC World and TechHive.

Invested in China

In 1980, McGovern established one of the first joint ventures between a U.S. company and one in the People's Republic of China, and in 1992, McGovern established IDG Technology Ventures, one of the first venture capital firms in China. In recognition of his great contribution to China's information industry and venture capital field, McGovern was awarded the International Investment Achievement Award at the CCTV 2007 China Economic Leadership Award ceremony in Beijing. This was the first time the award was given to a foreign investor. The award ceremony was broadcast live nationwide on China Central Television (CCTV). McGovern made 130 trips to China in his lifetime.

Reprinted with permission from IDG.net. Story copyright 2014 International Data Group. All rights reserved.