Patrick Joseph McGovern

Forbes magazine wrote that in the 1950s, McGovern earned a college scholarship by designing an unbeatable tic-tac-toe program.{{cn|date=June 2023}} During his sophomore year, he worked at the MIT student newspaper The Tech on the features staff. McGovern received a degree in course 7, or biology/life sciences, from MIT, in 1959.[https://web.archive.org/web/20140322091521/https://alum.mit.edu/volunteering/RecognitionAwards/AnnualAwards/AwardWinners/2009_award_winners?destination=node/17467 "MIT 2009 Bronze Beaver Award Winners"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322091521/https://alum.mit.edu/volunteering/RecognitionAwards/AnnualAwards/AwardWinners/2009_award_winners?destination=node%2F17467 |date=2014-03-22}}{{cite web |title=Patrick J. McGovern, 1937–2014 |url=https://mcgovern.mit.edu/2014/03/20/patrick-j-mcgovern-1937-2014/ |website=McGovern Institute |date=20 March 2014 |publisher=MIT |access-date=3 December 2020}}

After graduating, his first job was writing for a pioneering computer magazine, Edmund C. Berkeley's Computers and Automation. In 1964, McGovern founded International Data Corporation (IDC), which produced a computer-industry database and published the newsletter EDP Industry & Market Report (based on "ADP Newsletter", published by The Diebold Group). After three years, the company was losing money, and McGovern contemplated liquidating it. In 1967, he hit on the idea of making the newsletter into a weekly newspaper, Computerworld.{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Maryfran |date=September 30, 2002 |title=Computerworld's Founder Looks Back on 35 Years |url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/2577819/computerworld-s-founder-looks-back-on-35-years.html |access-date=2023-04-25 |website=Computerworld |language=en}} After failing to wrest control of Computer and Automation from his friend and mentor Ed Berkeley, he subsequently started the magazine PC World.

In 1980, he created one of the first American-Chinese joint ventures, and in 1997, Forbes estimated that "Pat McGovern has more readers in China than the People's Daily does."{{Cite web |title=Patrick J. McGovern, 76; founded International Data Group |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/03/22/patrick-mcgovern-technology-journalism-pioneer-founded-international-data-group/vSy9tIMFw4qUlpRlDJkF2N/story.html |access-date=2023-04-25 |first=J.M. |last=Lawrence |date=March 23, 2014 |work=The Boston Globe |language=en-US}} In 1991, his company published "DOS For Dummies", the first of the very popular "For Dummies" series of books explaining various subjects to the layperson. Bloomberg News reported that IDG had 280 million regular readers of its publications, and annual revenues of $3.6 billion.{{cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-20/patrick-mcgovern-billionaire-technology-publisher-dies-at-76.html |title=Patrick McGovern, Billionaire Tech Publisher, Dies at 76 |first=Laurence |last=Arnold |work=Bloomberg |date=March 20, 2014}}

Although he was born in Queens, New York, his family moved when he was a child to Philadelphia, where he delivered newspapers at the age of eight. He was divorced once. He was the father of two children and two stepchildren, and divided his time between Hillsborough, California and Hollis, New Hampshire. He and his second wife donated $350 million to MIT to found the McGovern Institute for Brain Research. He was a trustee of MIT and of MIT's Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. He also served on the board of trustees Society for Science & the Public.[https://web.archive.org/web/20140322090503/https://www.societyforscience.org/press-release-nobel-laureate-horvitz-take-helm-society-science-public "Press Release - Nobel Laureate Horvitz to Take Helm at Society for Science & the Public; Craig R. Barrett, Patrick J. McGovern, and Joe Palca join Distinguished Board; H. Robert Horvitz Elected Chair"], press release, Society for Science & the Public, WASHINGTON, D.C., October 13, 2010

At the time of his death, surviving family members included his wife, Lore Harp McGovern, a son, Patrick McGovern, daughter Elizabeth McGovern, stepdaughters Michelle Harp Bethel and Dina Jackson, and nine grandchildren.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/25/business/media/patrick-j-mcgovern-founder-of-publishing-empire-dies-at-76.html|title=Patrick McGovern Dies at 76; Founded Publishing Empire|last=Yardley|first=William|date=2014-03-24|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=2016-12-11}}

In May 2012, Patrick McGovern had open-heart surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. He died on March 19, 2014, aged 76.[http://mcgovern.mit.edu/news/news/patrick-j-mcgovern-1937-2014/ "Patrick J. McGovern: 1937-2014"], Obituary from the McGovern Institute at MIT.Miller, Stephen; Ante, Spencer E., "Patrick McGovern Dies at 76: Publisher Helped Define Computer Age and Made World Safe for 'Dummies'"], The Wall Street Journal, March 20, 2014

After his death, the ownership of IDG was transferred to the McGovern Foundation; in 2016, the foundation retained Goldman Sachs to explore a sale.{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/avaseave/2016/04/11/tech-publisher-idg-transforming-itself-from-within-as-it-braces-for-sale-or-breakup/#107d14d711e9|title=Tech Publisher IDG Transforming Itself From Within As It Braces For Sale Or Breakup|last=Seave|first=Ava|newspaper=Forbes|access-date=2016-12-11}} On March 29, China Oceanwide Holdings Group announced the closure of the acquisition of International Data Group, Inc. ("IDG").{{Cite news|url=https://www.idg.com/news/china-oceanwide-completes-acquisition-idg/|title=China Oceanwide Completes Acquisition of IDG • IDG|work=IDG|access-date=2017-07-04|language=en-US}} In June 2021, it was announced that the company had again been sold to The Blackstone Group, for $1.3 billion.

{{Reflist|2}}

• {{cite news |title=At the start: Pat McGovern and the birth of Computerworld |author-first=Lucas |author-last=Mearian |date=2017 |newspaper=Computerworld |publisher=IDG Communications, Inc. |url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/3159129/at-the-start-pat-mcgovern-and-the-birth-of-computerworld.html |access-date=2020-01-18 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200118142349/https://www.computerworld.com/article/3159129/at-the-start-pat-mcgovern-and-the-birth-of-computerworld.html |archive-date=2020-01-18}} [https://www.computerworld.com/article/3159129/at-the-start-pat-mcgovern-and-the-birth-of-computerworld.html?page=2]

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090220000738/http://www.idg.com/www/homenew.nsf/0/B743CCE5124308D48525725D00750F9A?OpenDocument Official Biography]
• [http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2000/neurorelease.html MIT announcement of the McGovern Institute]
• [http://web.mit.edu/mcgovern McGovern Institute for Brain Research website]
• [http://web.mit.edu/echemi/www/McGovern.html Pat McGovern Playlist] Appearance on WMBR's [http://web.mit.edu/echemi/www/index.html Dinnertime Sampler] radio show November 3, 2004

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Category:2014 deaths

Category:1937 births

Category:American computer businesspeople

Category:American billionaires

Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science alumni

Category:Businesspeople from the San Francisco Bay Area

Category:Place of death missing

Category:People from Hillsborough, California

Category:People from Hollis, New Hampshire