Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

Paul Allen

 
Gale Encyclopedia of Biography:

Paul G. Allen

Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Biographies
Paul Allen
Source

Paul G. Allen (born 1953) co - founded one of the world's most lucrative and influential companies, the Microsoft Corporation, in 1974. The company's products revolutionized personal computing and made founders Allen and Bill Gates billionaires. Allen left the company in 1983 due to illness, and has since invested in a wide variety of projects in the technology, entertainment, sports, and aerospace fields. In addition, he has contributed substantial amounts of money to various charities and research organizations.

Allen was born on January 21, 1953, in Seattle, Washington, and grew up in the nearby suburb of Wedgewood. His parents, Faye and Kenneth Allen, were both librarians at the University of Washington, and they introduced Allen and his sister Jody to a wide variety of cultural offerings, regularly taking their children to museums, galleries, and concerts. Allen's parents also encouraged his early love of reading and science, and his mother hosted meetings for his grade school science club. Allen melded these two interests in his avid enthusiasm for science fiction novels, including the Tom Swift series. "Tom Swift was very futuristic - he went to outer space, and there were rockets and submarines and all kinds of machines," Faye Allen told People magazine. "He was a role model for Paul."

In 1965, Allen began seventh grade at Lakeside School, a prestigious private school in Seattle. Three years later he met eighth - grader Bill Gates who, like Allen, spent most of his free time figuring out the inner workings of their school's new computer. "Our friendship started after the mothers' club paid to put a computer terminal in the school in 1968," Gates told Fortune in 1995. "The notion was that, of course, the teachers would figure out this computer thing and then teach it to the students. But that didn't happen. It was the other way around." The pair became so adept with computer technology that, while still in school, they were both invited to serve as amateur technicians at a local computer center in exchange for free computer time. "At the end of every school day, a bunch of us would take our little leather satchel briefcases and ride the bus downtown to the computer center," Allen recalled in Fortune. "Bill and I were the guys that stayed the latest, and afterward we'd go eat pizza at this hippie place across the street." Despite Allen and Gates' efforts, the center eventually went bankrupt and the pair cites the ensuing repossession activities as their early introduction to the realities of the business world.

Co - founded Microsoft

Allen graduated from high school in 1971 and entered Washington State University. That same year, he read about the Intel Corporation's 4004 chip, the first computer microprocessor. In 1972, he and Gates purchased the next generation of the chip, the 8008, for $360. The pair used the chip to develop a special computer that conducted traffic - volume - count analysis and started a company called Traf - O - Data, planning to sell the computers to traffic departments. Allen and Gates eventually abandoned the company, but applied the technology to their next venture. In 1973, they both took jobs at a company called TRW in Vancouver, Washington, where they used minicomputers to distribute power from hydroelectric dams.

In 1974, Gates left Washington to attend Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Allen followed, dropping out of Washington State and accepting a job as a computer programmer at the Honeywell Corporation in Boston. Allen hit upon the seed for their next business move in a Popular Electronics magazine cover story describing the MITS Altair 8800 minicomputer. Recognizing that the computer would need a programming language, Allen and Gates set out to write a version of BASIC, a widely used computer language, specifically geared toward the Altair. Under the auspices of their new corporation, Micro - Soft, they convinced MITS to sell their programming language. According to the Fortune interview, the credit line in the source code of their first product read: "Micro - Soft BASIC; Bill Gates wrote a lot of stuff; Paul Allen wrote some other stuff."

Allen and Gates soon changed the company's spelling to Microsoft and moved their business to MITS' headquarters in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The young entrepreneurs launched quickly into the technology side of their new business; their management technique developed more slowly. They did not even incorporate their company until 1981. "Our management style was a little loose in the beginning," Allen recalled in Fortune, "We both took part in every decision, and it's hard to remember who did what. If there was a difference between our roles, I was probably the one always pushing a little bit in terms of new technology and new products, and Bill was more interested in doing negotiations and contracts and business deals." Gates remembered the work atmosphere as congenial. "We didn't have many major disagreements, but there was one tiny source of tension: I would always be calling Paul in the morning to tell him it was time to come work on this stuff," he said in the same interview. "He slept even later than me."

Returned to Seattle

Allen and Gates soon built up an impressive client list that included Ricoh, Texas Instruments, Radio Shack and another new startup, Apple Computers. MITS' business began to dwindle as Apple and other emerged as competitors, leaving Allen and Gates with no reason to remain in Albuquerque. In 1978, with sales already over $1 million, they relocated their company to Bellevue, a suburb of Seattle. There, they experienced significant growth, and by 1979 had hired more than 35 employees and a professional manager.

The company entered into one of the most significant business deals in its 25 - year history in 1980. That year, InternationalBusinessMachines(IBM)approachedMicrosoft seeking a programming language for its new personal computer, secretly under development. That same year, Allen negotiated the purchase of Q - DOS, a little - used operating system produced by Seattle Computer. Since Seattle Computer was unaware of Microsoft's pending IBM deal, Allen was able to secure a low price for Q - DOS. "We were afraid they were going to find out the reason we wanted to buy it was because IBM was our primary customer," Allen told Fortune. "If they found that out, the price for Q - DOS would go way up." Microsoft paid $50,000 for Q - DOS and, in turn, licensed the product to IBM for use with its new PC.

In addition, Gates and Allen convinced IBM to allow other companies to copy the specifications of their PC, spurring the ensuing flood of PC "clones." The widespread availability of PCs necessitated compatible software programs which, in turn, required a universal operating system. In addition to Microsoft Disk Operating System, or MS - DOS, programmers had the option of using a competing system developed by Digital Research in Monterey, California. Gates and Allen urged software developers in both the U.S. and Europe to write to their specifications, however, and met with much success. As the PC, supported by MS - DOS, became the most widely used computer in the world, Microsoft became the domineering force in the computer programming industry.

Retired from Company

In 1982, Allen was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease, a form of cancer. He continued to work part - time at Microsoft during 22 months of radiation treatments, but in March 1983 he retired from the company and spent the next two years traveling, scuba diving, yachting, skiing and spending time with his family. He retained a 13 percent share of the company and continued to serve on its board. "To be 30 years old and have that kind of shock - to face your mortality - really makes you feel like you should do some of the things that you haven't done," Allen told Fortune.

Although finances were not a concern - as of 2003, he was estimated to be the world's fourth wealthiest citizen worth $21 billion - Allen sought out new business and investment opportunities. Pursuing a notion of a "wired world" in which computers and related technology serve as the primary source of communication and information - gathering, Allen founded Asymetrix, which produced applications that allowed both programmers and non - programmers to develop their own software, and then Vulcan Ventures, an investment firm focused on technology. Allen also invested in numerous companies, including Ticketmaster, America Online, Egghead Software and the pharmaceutical company Darwin Molecular Corporation. Later investments focused on cable television, wireless modems, and Web portals. In 1992, Allen founded Interval Research, a think tank focused on the Internet and compatible technologies. "For years now, I've been interested in the information superhighway or whatever you want to call it," Allen told Fortune in 1995. "The approach I've chosen is to start companies or make strategic investments in companies I think are positioned to take advantage of that huge opportunity. I try to add value as an investor by building synergy between those companies." His ventures have met with varying degrees of success.

Supported Sports, Entertainment

Allen also began to channel funds into entertainment and sporting ventures. He purchased the National Basketball Association's Portland Trailblazers in 1988 and built the organization a $262 million sports and entertainment complex. He often flies the team to games in his private jet. In the 1990s, he purchased a reported 24 percent of the shares of the film and television studio Dreamworks SKG. He purchased the National Football League's Seattle Seahawks in 1997 and built that team a new stadium and exhibition center as well.

A longtime rock music fan with his own band, Allen channeled his love for guitarist Jimi Hendrix into the Experience Music Project, an interactive museum dedicated to rock music and especially Hendrix's work, which opened in Seattle in 2000. Allen celebrated an even earlier passion with his support of the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, which opened in Seattle in 2004. Allen further indulged his interest in the otherworldly with a $13.5 million donation to the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence and the provision of an undisclosed amount to fund SpaceShipOne, the world's first private spaceship. Allen also founded the $100 million Allen Institute for Brain Science in 2003. Additional charitable donations and foundations have funded hospitals, AIDS programs, cancer research, forest preservation, and the construction of a new library at the University of Washington in honor of his parents. Allen resigned from the Microsoft Board of Directors in 2000, but remained with the organization as a senior strategy advisor.

Books

Business Leader Profiles for Students, Volume 1, Gale Group, 1999.

Periodicals

Fortune, October 2, 1995.

People, June 19, 1995.

Online

"Paul Allen," Biography Resource Center website,http://galenet.galegroup.com (December 10, 2005).

Space.com,http://www.space.com (November 16, 2004).

Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology:

Major George W. G. Allen

Top
Home > Library > Science > Archaeology Dictionary

(1891–1940) [Bi]

A mechanical engineer who pioneered the use of aerial photography for archaeological research. Born in Oxford, he was educated at Boxgrove School, Guildford, and Clifton College, before attending the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich. He resigned his commission, however, to become an engineer, working for some years on the east coast of Africa. During WW1 he served in the Royal Tank Corps, after the war joining his family business and finding time to become an enthusiastic airman. Piloting his own aircraft, the first privately owned aircraft in Oxford, and using a hand-made camera, he became well known for his pictures of archaeological sites in the Oxford area, which were mostly taken between 1933 and 1938. In 1936 he was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. He was killed in a motor-cycle accident in November 1940.

[Bio.: D. N. Riley, 1984, Introduction. Aerial Archaeology, 10, 1–16]
Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Paul Allen

Top
Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
For other people named Paul Allen, see Paul Allen (disambiguation).
Paul Allen
Born (1953-01-21) January 21, 1953 (age 59)
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Residence Mercer Island, Washington, U.S.
Alma mater Washington State University (Dropped out in 1974)
Occupation Co-founder of Microsoft
Chairman of Vulcan Inc., Investor
Net worth increase US$ 14.2 billion (2012)[1]

Paul Gardner Allen (born January 21, 1953) is an American investor and philanthropist best known as the co-founder of Microsoft Corporation, a leading developer of personal-computer software systems and applications. He is also the 48th richest person in the world along with Germán Larrea Mota-Velasco (and family) who ranks the same with an estimated wealth of $14.2 billion as of March 2012.[1]. He is the founder and chairman of Vulcan Inc., which manages his business and philanthropic efforts. Allen also has a multi-billion dollar investment portfolio which includes technology companies, real estate holdings, and stakes in other technology, media, and content companies. Allen also owns two professional sports teams, the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL),[2] and the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).[3] He is also part-owner of the Seattle Sounders FC, which joined Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2009.[4] Allen's memoir Idea Man: A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft was released on April 19, 2011.

Contents

Early life and career

Paul Allen was born in Seattle, Washington, to parents Kenneth Samuel Allen, an associate director of the University of Washington libraries, and Edna Faye (née Gardner) Allen, on January 21, 1953.[5] Allen attended Lakeside School, a private school in Seattle, and befriended Bill Gates, who was almost three years younger and shared a common enthusiasm for computers.[6] They used Lakeside's Teletype terminal to develop their programming skills on several time-sharing computer systems.[7] After graduation, Allen attended Washington State University, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity but dropped out after two years in order to work as a programmer for Honeywell in Boston, placing him near his old friend again.[7] Allen later convinced Gates to drop out of Harvard University in order to create Microsoft.

Microsoft

Main article: History of Microsoft

Allen co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1975, and began marketing a BASIC programming language interpreter.[6] Allen came up with the original name of "Micro-Soft," as recounted in a 1995 Fortune magazine article.[8] In 1980, after promising to deliver IBM a Disk Operating System (DOS) they had not yet developed for the Intel 8088-based IBM PC, Allen spearheaded a deal for Microsoft to purchase a Quick and Dirty Operating System (QDOS) written by Tim Paterson who, at the time, was employed at Seattle Computer Products. As a result of this transaction, Microsoft was able to secure a contract to supply the DOS that would eventually run on IBM's PC line. This contract with IBM was the watershed in Microsoft history that led to Allen and Gates' wealth.[7]

Allen was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1982. His cancer was successfully treated by several months of radiation therapy. However, he did not return to Microsoft and began distancing himself from the company.[7] Allen officially resigned from his position on the Microsoft board in November 2000 but was asked to consult as a senior strategy advisor to the company's executives.[9] He sold 68 million shares of Microsoft stock that year,[10] but still owns a reported 138 million shares.[11]

Recognition

In 2007 and 2008, Allen was listed among the Time 100 Most Influential People in The World.[12]

He received the Vanguard Award from the National Cable & Telecommunications Association on May 20, 2008.

On October 30, 2008, the Seattle-King County Association of Realtors honored Paul Allen for his “unwavering commitment to nonprofit organizations in the Pacific Northwest and lifetime giving approaching US$1 billion.”[13][14] Paul Allen has received awards and honorary degrees from several universities. In May 1999, Washington State University bestowed its highest honor, the Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award, upon him. He received a Docteur honoris causa from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne on March 31, 2007.

On October 26, 2008, Paul Allen was given the Herbie Hancock Humanitarian Award from the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz for his "visionary achievements as a businessman and a global philanthropist."

On January 31, 2009, Paul Allen received a special merit award from the Oregon Sports Authority.

Philanthropy

Paul Allen has made contributions to organizations related to health and human services, and toward the advancement of science and technology. The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation was established in 1986 to administer most of his contributions.[15] Through the Foundation, Allen awards approximately $30 million in grants annually.[16] Roughly 60% of the Foundation's money goes to non-profit organizations in Seattle and the state of Washington, and 12% to Portland, Oregon. The remaining 28% is distributed to other cities within the Pacific Northwest and internationally.[16] Since 1990, The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation has awarded $428 million to non-profit organizations, as of 2010.[17] That includes charitable projects known as "venture philanthropy". The most famous of these projects are the Experience Music Project, Seattle Cinerama Theatre, the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, the Flying Heritage Collection (airworthy vintage military aircraft) and the Allen Telescope Array (ATA).[17] The ATA is a partnership between the University of California, Berkeley and the SETI Institute.[18] Allen has a flower fly named after him for his contributions to Dipterology, called Paul Allen's flower fly.[19] Allen has also funded the purchase of many Jimi Hendrix artifacts, including the guitar Hendrix played at Woodstock, and ensured their public display in the Experience Music Project exhibits.[20]

In December 2010, it was announced that Paul Allen had pledged $26 million to his alma mater, Washington State University, for its School for Global Animal Health. The gift will be the largest received by the university. In the late 1980s, Allen donated US$18 million to build a new library at the University of Washington, named after his father, Kenneth S. Allen.[21] US$5 million was donated in 2003 to establish the Faye G. Allen Center for Visual Arts, named after his mother.[22] Allen was also the top private contributor, with US$14 million in donations, and namesake, of the "Paul G. Allen Center for Computer Science & Engineering", which was designed by LMN Architects of Seattle and completed in 2003.[23] Throughout the years, Allen has contributed millions of US$ to the University of Washington Medical School.[24] The foundation awarded US$3.2 million for prostatitis research in 1997, followed by an additional $1.0 million grant in 2002.[25] More recently, the foundation contributed $5.0 million for an early cancer-detection project at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.[26]

With his sister, Jo Lynn Allen, Paul Allen pledged $100 million in 2003 to found the Allen Institute for Brain Science, a nonprofit corporation (501(c) (3)) and medical research organization. Utilizing the mouse model system (given its great similarity to human DNA), 20,000 genes in the adult mouse brain were mapped to a cellular level for the Allen Brain Atlas. The data generated from this effort is contained in the free and publicly available Allen Brain Atlas application.

On July 16, 2008, Allen launched a $ 41 million online "Allen Spinal Cord Atlas" mouse gene map. Allan Jones, chief scientific officer, said: "The Allen Spinal Cord Atlas offers profound potential for researchers to unlock the mysteries of the spinal cord and how it is altered during disease or injury." The spinal cord atlas is set up like the Allen Institute's earlier atlas of the mouse brain.[27] The Map could reveal new treatments for human neurological disorders. The map points researchers toward places where genes are active[28][29][30]

On November 19, 2008, Allen appeared at the Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Hall of Fame to present the second annual Founder's Award for musical achievement. The award was presented to Robbie Robertson, a founding member of the seminal 1960s band The Band and a noted composer of film scores. Allen founded the museum in 2000. The award was presented as part of a gala benefit for EMP. The finale was a four-song set with all the evening's musicians on stage, including Allen and Robertson on guitar.

Paul Allen is also a founding member of The International SeaKeepers Society and hosts its proprietary SeaKeeper 1000TM oceanographic and atmospheric monitoring system on all three of his megayachts.

On November 15, 2009, Jody Allen, Paul Allen's sister and the CEO of Vulcan made public that Paul had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a form of cancer in the lymph system. As of October 2010, he has been free of cancer.[31]

On May 24, 2010, Allen launched the Allen Human Brain Atlas, a publicly available online atlas charting genes at work throughout the human brain. The data provided represent the most extensive and detailed body of information about gene activity in the human brain to date, documenting which genes are expressed, or "turned on" where.[32]

A report in February, 2012, named Allen as the most charitable living American in 2011. Allen's donations, totaling $372.6 million, were beat out by only two others, both of them are deceased.[33]

In March 2012 he continued the funding of the Allen Institute for Brain Science with a contribution of $300 million to look at how we see.[34][35]

Investments

See also: Vulcan Inc.
Paul Allen (third from right) and Burt Rutan (fifth from right) were presented with the Ansari X PRIZE by members of the X PRIZE Foundation in 2004.

Ticketmaster

Main article: Ticketmaster

In 1993, Paul Allen invested $243 million to acquire 80% of Ticketmaster. Under his ownership, Ticketmaster moved into the Internet in 2 phases: it started in June 1995 by displaying a searchable database of Ticketmaster's events; on September 11, 1996, the first transaction came in. The company went public on 19 November 1996. In 1997, David Geffen introduced Barry Diller to Paul Allen, who was increasingly frustrated at Fred Rosen, Ticketmaster's CEO, and was looking for a change at the helm: in May, Home Shopping Network acquired 47.5% of Allen's stock for $209 million worth of HSN stock.[36]

Interval Research Corporation

Main article: Interval Research Corporation

In 1992, he and David Liddle cofounded Interval Research Corporation, a Silicon Valley-based laboratory and new business incubator that was dissolved in 2000 after generating over 300 patents,[37] four of which were the subject of Allen's August 2010 patent infringement lawsuit against AOL, Apple, eBay, Facebook, Google, Netflix, Office Depot, OfficeMax, Staples, Yahoo!, and YouTube.[38][39]

Spacecraft

Allen confirmed that he was the sole investor behind Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites' SpaceShipOne suborbital commercial spacecraft on October 4, 2004.[40] SpaceShipOne climbed to an altitude of 377,591 feet (115,090 m) and was the first privately funded effort to successfully put a civilian in suborbital space. It won the Ansari X Prize competition and received the $10 million prize.[41]

On December 13, 2011, Allen announced Stratolaunch Systems. Stratolaunch is a proposed orbital launch system consisting of a dual-bodied, 6 engine jet aircraft, capable of carrying a rocket to high altitude; the rocket would then separate from its carrier aircraft and fire its own engines to complete its climb into orbit. The carrier aircraft would utilize carbon composites as well as 747 jet engines and parts. If successful, this project would be the first wholly privately funded space transport system.[42]

South Lake Union

Main article: South Lake Union

Allen was a key developer and investor in the development of the South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle as a biotechnology hub and mixed-use community.[43] He was also the largest private landowner in South Lake Union and owns nearly 2,600,000 square feet (240,000 m2) in the neighborhood.[43] His holdings company has a development capacity of more than 10,000,000 square feet (930,000 m2) of new residential, office, retail and biotech research space.[43] The South Lake Union redevelopment represents one of the largest urban revitalization projects in the country.[44] Allen has made investments estimated at US$200 million as of 2005, and promoted for city funding of the Seattle Streetcar line known as South Lake Union Streetcar, which runs from Seattle's Westlake Center to the south end of Lake Union.[45] The Streetcar is a public and private partnership made possible because of a Local Improvement District (LID) supported by businesses and residents along the line;[46] it officially started operation on December 12, 2007.[47] This development has been criticized as a city-supported real estate investment for Vulcan Inc.,[48] and concerns over the loss of low-income housing have been expressed.[49]

Octopus

Main article: Octopus (yacht)

The launch of Paul Allen's 416 feet (127 m) yacht, Octopus, secured its position as one of the world's largest yachts in 2003.[50] As of 2011, it is 12th in the list of motor yachts by length. The yacht is equipped with two helicopters, two submarines, a swimming pool, a music studio and a basketball court.[51] Allen also owns Tatoosh, also one of the world's 100 largest yachts.

Allen is known for throwing huge, celebrity-studded parties on his yacht, such as a 2005 New Year's Eve party in which he and his band played Johnny Cash songs with R&B star Usher. His band also played at another party he hosted during the Cannes film festival with keyboardist Dave Stewart.[51][52][53]

Sports

Portland Trail Blazers

Allen purchased the Portland Trail Blazers NBA team in 1988 from California real estate developer Larry Weinberg for $70 million.[3] He was also instrumental in the development and funding of their Rose Garden in 1993.[7] The Blazers are valued at approximately $300 million according to a 2006 issue of Forbes.[54] Allen has been asking Portland and Oregon officials for assistance in the financing of the Blazers since 2006, which he estimated would lose $100 million over the next three years.[55] Then-Portland Mayor Tom Potter rebuffed the requests.[56] Allen announced the completion of the acquisition of the Rose Garden on April 2, 2007, and stated that this was a major milestone and a positive step for the franchise.[57] He said, “My efforts are focused on continuing to support the Trail Blazers and the long-term financial health of the franchise."[58] As of 2010, according to a 2011 issue of Forbes, the Portland Trail Blazers were worth $356 million, ranked No. 14 out of 30 NBA teams.[59]

Seattle Seahawks

Allen purchased the Seattle Seahawks NFL team in 1997 when former owner Ken Behring threatened to move the Seahawks to Southern California.[2] Allen was allowed to buy the team despite owning the NBA's Trail Blazers because Portland doesn't have an NFL team. (NFL rules prohibit team owners from either outright ownership or a majority share of another sports team outside its home market if they play in the same city as another NFL team.) He played a large part in the development of the new Seahawks' stadium, CenturyLink Field, although it was funded largely by tax revenue.[60]

Seattle Sounders

Allen's Vulcan Sports & Entertainment is part of the ownership team of the Seattle Sounders FC, a Major League Soccer franchise that began play in 2009 at CenturyLink Field, a stadium also controlled by Paul Allen.[4] The ownership team also includes film producer Joe Roth, businessman Adrian Hanauer, and comedian Drew Carey. Sigi Schmid, two-time MLS Cup winner, is the team’s head coach.

The Sounders sold out every home game during its first season, setting a new MLS record for average match attendance and the most season tickets sold in the league. The team finished the 2009 season with a winning record and qualified for the MLS playoffs, where they were eliminated in the conference semi-finals. Seattle Sounders FC is only the second expansion team in MLS history to win the U.S. Open Cup tournament in its first season, and in 2010 became the first team to repeat as U.S. Open Cup champion in almost three decades, in front of the largest crowd to ever witness a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final in the history of the 97-year-old tournament.

Recognition

On January 26, 2011 at Seattle’s Benaroya Hall, Paul Allen was named Seattle Sports Commission Sports Citizen of the Year, an award that has been renamed the Paul Allen Award.

Filmmaking

Main article: Vulcan Productions

Paul and Jo Lyn Allen are the owners and executive producers of Vulcan Productions, a filmmaking company headquartered in Seattle. Vulcan Productions’ mission is to initiate, develop and finance independent film projects of substance and enduring significance. Their projects support the passionate vision of the artist, while challenging and celebrating the world of ideas and human values. Through their collaborative partnerships with established and emerging filmmakers, Vulcan Productions explores creative opportunities that result in engaging and inspirational storytelling.

Their films have received prestigious recognition, ranging from a Peabody to Independent Spirit Awards to Golden Globes, Emmys and Grammys, and have also been nominated for Academy Awards, among many others.

As of 2011, Vulcan Productions’ Web-based project, Success at the Core, is providing a comprehensive professional toolkit that helps middle school leadership teams and teachers elevate classroom instruction for significantly improved student success. This Emotional Life, a documentary series on psychology created by Vulcan Productions and the NOVA/WGBH Science Unit in 2010, examines the human desire and struggle for happiness. This multi-platform project also includes pertinent resources for audiences, including innovative toolkits in the areas of early childhood attachment and the emotional health of military families—two areas covered in depth in the series.

In March 2011, Vulcan Productions' This Emotional Life won three medals at the 2011 New York Festival Television and Film Awards. They include:

  • Gold Medal — Film Production
  • Gold Medal — Health/Medical Information
  • Silver World Medal — Direction ("Facing Our Fears" episode)

Books

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b "Forbes.com Profile". http://www.forbes.com/profile/paul-allen/. Retrieved April 3, 2012. 
  2. ^ a b Attner, Paul (March 35, 1996). "Behring straits — Seattle Seahawks owner Ken Behring". Sporting News. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_n13_v220/ai_18129768. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  3. ^ a b "Learn More About Larry Weinberg". NBA.com. National Basketball Association. http://www.nba.com/blazers/features/Learn_More_About_Larry_Weinber-44362-41.html. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  4. ^ a b "Seattle to Get Expansion MLS Franchise for 2009". ESPN. November 9, 2007. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=480678&cc=5901. Retrieved November 10, 2007. 
  5. ^ Wallace, James (April 22, 1996). "Paul Allen: More Than Money". Seattle Post-Intelligencer: "News" section. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-64660757.html. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  6. ^ a b "Bill Gates: Before Microsoft". Virginia Tech. http://ei.cs.vt.edu/~history/Gates.Mirick.html. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  7. ^ a b c d e "Paul Allen". The History of Computing Project. http://www.thocp.net/biographies/allen_paul.htm. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  8. ^ Schendler, Brent (October 2, 1995). "Bill Gates and Paul Allen talk. Check out the ultimate buddy act in business history: the multibillionaire co-founders of Microsoft still sit for an entire afternoon to tell Fortune's Brent Schendler their story and speculate about the future of personal computing and telecommunications". Fortune. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1995/10/02/206528/index.htm. Retrieved October 6, 2011. 
  9. ^ "Paul Allen to Take on New Role As Senior Strategy Adviser to Microsoft Board". Microsoft. September 28, 2000. http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2000/sept00/allenhackbornpr.mspx. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  10. ^ "#3, Allen, Paul Gardner". Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/finance/lists/54/2001/LIR.jhtml?passListId=54&passYear=2001&datatype=Person&passListType=Person&uniqueId=1217. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  11. ^ Cringely, Robert X. (March 30, 2006). "Prisoner of Redmond: Yet Another Way Paul Allen Isn't Like You or Me". PBS. http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/2006/pulpit_20060330_000890.html. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  12. ^ Pinker, Steven (May 3, 2007). "Paul Allen". TIME. http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/time100/article/0,28804,1595326_1595329_1616322,00.html. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  13. ^ "70th Annual First Citizen Award Banquet". nwrealtor.com. 2008. http://www.nwrealtor.com/cde.cfm?event=215055. Retrieved July 28, 2011. [dead link]
  14. ^ Stroupe, James (May 22, 2008). "70th Annual First Citizen Award Honoring Paul Allen". stroupecondoblog.com. http://www.stroupecondoblog.com/2008/05/70th-annual-citizen-award-honoring-paul-allen/. Retrieved July 28, 2011. 
  15. ^ "Paul G. Allen Family Foundation". Institutions of Philanthropy. http://www.institutionsofphilanthropy.com/allen.html. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  16. ^ a b "Grant List". Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. http://www.pgafoundations.com/TemplateMain.aspx?contentId=29. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  17. ^ a b "Paul G. Allen Family Foundation Awards $9.5 Million in Grants". Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. http://www.pgafoundations.com/TemplateMain.aspx?contentId=74. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  18. ^ "Allen Telescope Array Fact Sheet". SETI Institute. Archived from the original on March 27, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080327071856/http://www.seti-inst.edu/ata/fact.php. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  19. ^ Fairman, Jennifer E. (August 19, 1999). "Paul Allen's Flower Fly". United States Department of Agriculture. http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/Diptera/syrphid/allen.htm. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  20. ^ Lyke, M. L. (June 22, 2000). "The Guitar God: Jimi Hendrix Lit Up Rock – and Burned Himself Out". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. http://www.seattlepi.com/emp/guitar.shtml. Retrieved March 31, 2008. [dead link]
  21. ^ "UW Libraries Facts". University of Washington. http://www.lib.washington.edu/help/faq/facts.html. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  22. ^ Garber, Andrew (June 16, 2004). "Paul Allen Sees Space Tourism in Our Future". The Seattle Times. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001957127_allen16m.html. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  23. ^ "The Paul G. Allen Center for Computer Science & Engineering". University of Washington. http://www.cs.washington.edu/building/. Retrieved March 30, 2008. 
  24. ^ Sowers, Pam (February 6, 2001). "Million Dollar Grant by the Paul G. Allen Foundation for Medical Research to University of Washington Medical Scientist Program". University of Washington. http://uwnews.org/article.asp?articleID=2232. Retrieved March 31, 2008. [dead link]
  25. ^ "Allen Foundation Pledges $3.2 Million for Prostatitis Research at the University Of Washington". Science Daily. May 14, 1997. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1997/05/970514120249.htm. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  26. ^ "Paul G. Allen Family Foundation funds $5 Million Early Cancer-detection Project". Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. August 31, 2006. http://www.fhcrc.org/about/ne/news/2006/08/31/allen.html. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  27. ^ "Institute unveils full atlas of mouse brain — Technology & science — Science — msnbc.com". MSNBC. 2006-09-26. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15014341/. Retrieved 2011-05-11. 
  28. ^ "Gene Search :: Spinal Cord". Mousespinal.brain-map.org. http://mousespinal.brain-map.org/. Retrieved 2011-05-11. 
  29. ^ "msnbc.msn.com, Gene map charts spinal cord mysteries". MSNBC. 2008-07-17. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25710243/. Retrieved 2011-05-11. 
  30. ^ "sciencenews.org/view, MapQuest for the mouse spinal cord". Sciencenews.org. http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/34276/title/MapQuest_for_the_mouse_spinal_cord. Retrieved 2011-05-11. 
  31. ^ "Paul Allen diagnosed with cancer". Cnet. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10399143-56.html. Retrieved November 16, 2009. 
  32. ^ "Allen Institute for Brain Science launches Allen Human Brain Atlas". Phys.Org. May 24, 2010. http://phys.org/news193913029.html. 
  33. ^ "Paul Allen was most charitable living American in 2011". MyNorthwest.com. http://mynorthwest.com/11/624253/Most-charitable-American-in-2011-from-Seattle. Retrieved February 08, 2012. 
  34. ^ "Paul Allen gives $300 million to expand brain research". Reuters. 23 March 2012. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/23/us-health-brainresearch-idUSBRE82M0ET20120323. 
  35. ^ Morgen Peck (March 21, 2012). "The Allen Institute Takes A Look At How We See". IEEE Spectrum. http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/biomedical/imaging/the-allen-institute-takes-a-look-at-how-we-see/?utm_source=techalert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=032912. 
  36. ^ Budnick, Dean; Baron, Josh (2011). Ticket Masters: the rise of the concert industry and how the public got scalped. Toronto: ECW Press. pp. 227–229, 232. ISBN 978-1-55022-949-3. 
  37. ^ "WTO Board Bio: David Liddle". Archived from the original on March 11, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070311150631/http://www.stanford.edu/group/WTO/people/board/liddle.shtml. 
  38. ^ "Allen sues Google, Apple, others over patents". Reuters. August 27, 2010. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS201024637120100828. 
  39. ^ Dionne Searcey (August 28, 2010). "Microsoft Co-Founder Launches Patent War". The Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703294904575385241453119382.html. Retrieved August 29, 2010. 
  40. ^ "Vulcan Underwrites SpaceShipOne". http://www.vulcan.com/TemplateCompany.aspx?contentId=94. Retrieved 4 April 2012. 
  41. ^ Ina Fried (October 4, 2004). "SpaceShipOne captures X Prize". CNN. Archived from the original on March 21, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080321070412/http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/10/04/spaceshipone.attempt.cnn/index.html. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  42. ^ ANDY PASZTOR And DIONNE SEARCEY (December 14, 2011). "Paul Allen, Supersizing Space Flight". WSJ. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203518404577096493595261190.html. Retrieved December 13, 2011. 
  43. ^ a b c Mulady, Kathy (October 20, 2004). "Remaking South Lake Union: Seattle Is on Fast Track to Build Biotech Hub". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. http://www.seattlepi.com/local/196012_slakeunion20.html. Retrieved March 31, 2008. [dead link]
  44. ^ Richman, Dan (March 10, 2008). "Meet the Quiet Force Behind Paul Allen's Remaking of South Lake Union". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. http://www.seattlepi.com/business/354345_healey10.html. Retrieved March 31, 2008. [dead link]
  45. ^ Murakami, Kery (September 18, 2007). "SLUT – car's Unfortunate Acronym Seems Here to Stay". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. http://www.seattlepi.com/local/332081_slut18.html. Retrieved March 31, 2008. [dead link]
  46. ^ Mulady, Kathy (June 18, 2003). "Businesses Backing Streetcar Plan for South Lake Union". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. http://www.seattlepi.com/business/127130_streetcar18.html. Retrieved March 31, 2008. [dead link]
  47. ^ Curl, Aimee (January 23, 2008). "Won't You Ride the S.L.U.T?". Seattle Weekly. http://www.seattleweekly.com/2008-01-23/news/won-t-you-ride-the-s-l-u-t.php. Retrieved January 25, 2008. 
  48. ^ Cook, John (January 2, 2004). "Venture Capital: Airplanes ... to Antibodies". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. http://www.seattlepi.com/venture/154999_vc02.html. Retrieved March 30, 2008. 
  49. ^ McOmber, J. Martin (September 29, 2002). "Seattle Declares Low-income Housing Building Unfit". The Seattle Times. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-8780967_ITM. Retrieved March 30, 2008. 
  50. ^ Byrne, Diane M.. "World's 100 Largest Yachts 2007". Power & Motoryacht. http://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/megayachts/2007-worlds-largest-yachts/. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  51. ^ a b Byrne, Diane M.. "America’s 100 Largest Yachts". Power & Motoryacht. Archived from the original on March 8, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080308202113/http://powerandmotoryacht.com/megayachts/1105top100/index2.aspx. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  52. ^ Bush, James (August 8, 2001). "Needle Exchange". Seattle Weekly: "News Clips" section. http://www.seattleweekly.com/2001-08-08/news/news-clips-mdash-needle-exchange.php. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  53. ^ "People in the News: New Year's Rocks on Allen's yacht. And Yet We Do Not Know When He Invented Things". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. January 5, 2006. http://www.seattlepi.com/people/254450_people05.html. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  54. ^ "Portland Trail Blazers". Oregon Live. http://blog.oregonlive.com/playbooksandprofits/portland_trail_blazers/. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  55. ^ "Allen on Blazers: Team's future 'up in the air'". Associated Press. ESPN. March 27, 2006. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2385624. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  56. ^ Bernton, Hal (February 25, 2006). "Allen's Trail Blazers Seek Help to Stay in Portland". The Seattle Times. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002827693_trailblazers25m.html. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  57. ^ Wertheim, L. Jon (November 27, 2007). "The Quiet Owner: Paul Allen". Sports Illustrated. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/the_bonus/11/27/paul.allen1203/. Retrieved March 30, 2008. 
  58. ^ "Vulcan Inc. Completes Acquisition of Rose Garden Arena". NBA. http://www.nba.com/blazers/news/Vulcan_Inc_Completes_Acquisit-218671-1218.html. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 
  59. ^ "The Business of the NBA 2011". Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/lists/2011/32/basketball-valuations-11_land.html. Retrieved January 27, 2010. 
  60. ^ "Qwest Field". Ballparks.com. http://football.ballparks.com/NFL/SeattleSeahawks/newindex.htm. Retrieved March 31, 2008. 

Further reading

External links

Business positions
Preceded by
Ken Behring		 Seattle Seahawks owner
1997–present		 Succeeded by
(incumbent)
Preceded by
Larry Weinberg		 Portland Trail Blazers owner
1988–present		 Succeeded by
(incumbent)
Preceded by
(expansion team)		 Seattle Sounders FC owner
2008–present		 Succeeded by
(incumbent)
Founded in 1976 • Based in Seattle, Washington
The Franchise
Stadiums
Culture
Paul Allen • 12th Man • Blitz • Sea Gals • Ring of Honor • Tuba Man • "Beast Mode"
Head coaches
Patera • McCormack • Knox • Flores • Erickson • Holmgren • Mora • Carroll
Division championships (7)
Super Bowl appearances (1)
Retired numbers
12 • 80 • 71
Current league affiliations
The Franchise
Arenas
Coaches
General Managers
President
D-League Affiliate
Administration
Owner
Paul Allen
General Manager
Vacant
Head Coach
Kaleb Canales (interim)
List of executives
Retired Numbers
NBA Championships (1)
Culture and lore
Media
Herman Sarkowsky • Larry Weinberg • Paul Allen
The Club
Stadiums
Development System
Culture
Rivalries
Key personnel

Owners: Joe Roth • Adrian Hanauer • Paul Allen • Drew Carey • Coach: Sigi Schmid • Technical Director: Chris Henderson
Major Honors (3)
U.S. Open Cup (3)

2009 • 2010 • 2011
Seasons (4)
2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012
Current owners of the National Football League
American Football Conference
AFC East

Ralph Wilson (Buffalo Bills)
Stephen M. Ross (Miami Dolphins)
Robert Kraft (New England Patriots)
Woody Johnson (New York Jets)

 AFC North

Steve Bisciotti (Baltimore Ravens)
Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals)
Randy Lerner (Cleveland Browns)
Rooney Family (Pittsburgh Steelers)

 AFC South

Bob McNair (Houston Texans)
Jim Irsay (Indianapolis Colts)
Shahid Khan (Jacksonville Jaguars)
Bud Adams (Tennessee Titans)

 AFC West

Pat Bowlen (Denver Broncos)
Clark Hunt (Kansas City Chiefs)
Carol and Mark Davis (Oakland Raiders)
Alex Spanos (San Diego Chargers)
National Football Conference
NFC East

Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys)
John Mara & Steve Tisch (New York Giants)
Jeffrey Lurie (Philadelphia Eagles)
Daniel Snyder (Washington Redskins)

 NFC North

Virginia Halas McCaskey (Chicago Bears)
William Clay Ford, Sr. (Detroit Lions)
Shareholders (Green Bay Packers)
Zygi Wilf (Minnesota Vikings)

 NFC South

Arthur Blank (Atlanta Falcons)
Jerry Richardson (Carolina Panthers)
Tom Benson (New Orleans Saints)
Malcolm Glazer (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

 NFC West

Bill Bidwill (Arizona Cardinals)
Stan Kroenke (St. Louis Rams)
DeBartolo–York Family (San Francisco 49ers)
Paul Allen (Seattle Seahawks)
Current team owners in the National Basketball Association
Eastern Conference
Atlantic

H. Irving Grousbeck, Wycliffe Grousbeck and Stephen Pagliuca (Boston Celtics)
Mikhail Prokhorov (Brooklyn Nets)
James Dolan/Madison Square Garden, Inc. (New York Knicks)
Joshua Harris (Philadelphia 76ers)
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (Toronto Raptors)

 Central

Jerry Reinsdorf (Chicago Bulls)
Dan Gilbert (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Tom Gores (Detroit Pistons)
Herbert Simon (Indiana Pacers)
Herb Kohl (Milwaukee Bucks)

 Southeast

Atlanta Spirit (Atlanta Hawks)
Michael Jordan (Charlotte Bobcats)
Micky Arison (Miami Heat)
Richard DeVos (Orlando Magic)
Ted Leonsis (Washington Wizards)
Western Conference
Southwest

Mark Cuban (Dallas Mavericks)
Leslie Alexander (Houston Rockets)
Michael Heisley (Memphis Grizzlies)
Tom Benson (New Orleans Hornets)
Peter Holt (San Antonio Spurs)

 Northwest

Stan Kroenke (Denver Nuggets)
Glen Taylor (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Clayton Bennett (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Paul Allen (Portland Trail Blazers)
Karen Gail Miller and family (Utah Jazz)

 Pacific

Peter Guber and Joe Lacob (Golden State Warriors)
Donald Sterling (Los Angeles Clippers)
Jerry Buss (Los Angeles Lakers)
Robert Sarver (Phoenix Suns)
Maloof family (Sacramento Kings)

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 
Related topics:
Microsoft (business term)
Paul Allen (literature)
Nicholas Biddle (literature)

Related answers:
Does Paul Allen own a yacht? Read answer...
Does paul Allen have a daughter? Read answer...
Who is bill gats and paul Allen? Read answer...

Help us answer these:
What goals did Paul Allen acheive?
What killed Paul G Allen?
Who is Paul Allen married to?

Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:

 

Copyrights:

$copyright.smallImage.alttext Gale Encyclopedia of Biography. Gale Encyclopedia of Biography. © 2006 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology. Copyright © 2002, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia on Answers.com. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Paul Allen.  Read more

Related answers
» More
Answer these
» More
Follow us
Facebook Twitter
YouTube

Mentioned in

» More» More