Russell Harrison Varian (April 24, 1898 – July 28, 1959) and
Sigurd Fergus Varian (May 4, 1901 – October 18, 1961) were brothers who founded one of the earliest
high-tech companies in
Silicon Valley. Born to
theosophist parents who helped lead the utopian community of
Halcyon, California, they grew up in a home with multiple creative influences. The brothers showed an early interest in electricity, and after establishing careers in electronics and aviation they came together to invent the
klystron, which became a critical component of
radar,
telecommunications and other
microwave technologies. In 1948 they founded
Varian Associates to market the klystron and other inventions; the company became the first to move into
Stanford Industrial Park, the birthplace of Silicon Valley. Both brothers were noted for their progressive political views; Russell was a lifelong supporter of the
Sierra Club, Sigurd helped found the
housing cooperative of
Ladera, California, and Varian Associates instituted innovative employee policies that were ahead of their time. In 1950, the Varians were awarded the
John Price Wetherill Medal for the development of the klystron, and both were posthumously inducted into the Silicon Valley Engineering Council Hall of Fame in 1993.