The questions we get asked

 I got a note from a budding documentary film maker the other day, that said: "Did you know Larry Lang at HP?"

Answer: "Sure, but not very well, and it was a long time ago.  Why?"

Well, it seems that Lang was a neighbor to Steve Jobs when he was twelve years old, and he (Lang) encouraged Jobs to consider electronics.

Here's the story, from one of several websites with this set of observations:   http://www.tlcfun.com/become-a-professor.php

Mr. Lang was an engineer at Hewlett-Packard.  An amateur radio operator and electronics enthusiast, Larry took the time to share something he was interested in with the kids in his community. His unselfish efforts helped launch the careers of Steve Jobs and many others.  You might say that Larry was a kind of Professor Know-How to Steve and the other boys in his neighborhood.

Steve Jobs, later in his life, spoke of the experience he and his friends gained working alongside Mr. Lang building electronic kits: "It gave me a tremendous level of self-confidence, that through exploration and learning, one could understand seemingly very complex things in one's environment."

Picture at right: Mr. Lang and four boys, including Jobs in front

The Technology Learning Center uses this story to amplify their consistent message.  That message: 

If you ever wanted evidence of the power of a person to have a positive influence in the lives of a boy or girl, and in a bigger sense, the world, Steve Jobs and the story of Larry Lang is a solid example.  Freely contributing their time and energy towards this cause and inspired by the real life story of Larry Lang, the men and women of the Technology Learning Center understand the pivotal role they may play in inspiring a lifetime of learning among young people.

Topping a short list of prerequisites, a passion for working with young people is by far the most important qualification to be a classroom presenter.  Next is recognizing a sense of urgency in advancing our country's educational system to a place of prominence in the areas of science and technology.  Lastly, is the desire to give something back to their communities, and to a greater purpose, the future prosperity of our nation.

It's been said that the best definition of teaching is a transfer of enthusiasm.  Our passion for working with young people is what energizes us and it's where we find life's biggest rewards.  

I tried to find Larry Lang in any of HP's many publications.  Alas, I could not.  Nor could our esteemed 'hstorian' John Minck, who could not remember Larry.   Perhaps someone reading this blog post knew Larry, and can share more info.

I did find another squib, though, about Steve Jobs and another encounter he had at HP early in life.  This one was carried in Fortune magazine https://fortune.com/2025/03/16/steve-jobs-teenager-hp-cofounder-career-success/

"When Steve Jobs was just 12 years old, he called up HP cofounder Bill Hewlett to ask for spare parts to build a frequency counter.  That phone call got him the tools, and a job . . . .   He found Bill Hewlett's phone number in the Yellow Pages (this seems dubious to me--"in the Yellow Pages?"), and called him up for a favor.

Jobs recalled that Hewlett laughed when Jobs introduced himself as a 12-year-old highschooler in need of the parts.  Ultimately, he offered him the components, and a job. The HP cofounder was so impressed by his drive that he set him up with a summer job at the company, putting nuts and bolts together on frequency counters.  (Again, the purist in me--was Jobs really twelve for both events?  He certainly was not a highschooler at 12, never mind the article's slant).

Ignoring the quibbling details.  These stories are the stuff of legends, right?   That was HP folk, for sure.