San Luis Obispo
Award-winning engineer Paul V. McEnroe developed state-of-the-art products the world depends upon today. During his distinguished career, Mr. McEnroe was known for visionary engineering and for sound business management.
In 23 years with IBM, Mr. McEnroe delivered innovations that became industry standards. He is perhaps most widely recognized as the developer of the Universal Product Code (UPC), commonly known as the barcode. He created the first commercial application of laser technology, the barcode scanner, and the magnetic code for Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) marking.
A group director at IBM, Mr. McEnroe refined his earlier supermarket connectivity technology improving it to become the Token Ring Local Area Network IEEE 805.2, which connects a large share of the world’s computer systems. As director of IBM’s Raleigh Laboratory, he managed thousands of engineers in the development of communications hardware and software.
In 1984, Mr. McEnroe joined Trilogy Systems Corporation where he developed multi-chip module technology. Named president later that year, Mr. McEnroe led Trilogy through a merger with Digital Equipment Corporation. He retired in 1992.
Mr. McEnroe was valedictorian at the University of Dayton and earned advanced engineering degrees from Purdue University and Stanford University. His industry awards include the IBM President’s Award for the “Development of the Supermarket System from Inception through Shipment.” He was named the University of Dayton’s Most Distinguished Alumnus in 1999, and earned coveted awards from Purdue University as well.
Today, Mr. McEnroe enjoys ranching in the Santa Ynez Valley. He supports his Central Coast community by serving as an advisor and/or director of numerous non-profits including: president of Santa Barbara County Cattlemen’s Association, director of the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County, director of the Western Commercial Space Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base, and as a member of the Cal Poly President’s Council of Advisors for 30 years.
With his wife, Tina, Mr. McEnroe founded The McEnroe Reading & Language Arts Clinic at University of California Santa Barbara in 2011.
In recognition of his many accomplishments in technology and contributions to his community, the Board of Trustees of the California State University and California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo are proud to confer upon Paul McEnroe the honorary degree of Doctor of Science.