Honoring Steve Appleton's Life And Legacy

Notably, Idaho ranks first in the nation for the number of patents held per capita.  The vast majority of those patents are attributable to Micron Technology, Inc.  Idaho is unquestionably home to many resourceful and innovative individuals--people who work hard to advance ideas that spark development and achievements around the world.  Among them, was Steve Appleton. 

Following Steve Appleton's untimely passing, many of us, including Idaho Governor Butch Otter and our fellow members of Idaho's Congressional delegation have mourned his loss and paid tribute to his remarkable achievements.  We had the opportunity recently to honor Steve Appleton's life and legacy in the U.S. Senate.  The following is the content of our Congressional Record Statement.

"My colleague Senator Jim Risch joins me today in honoring the life of Steve Appleton.  We are deeply saddened by Steve's passing, and we join his wife, Dalynn, their children, family, Micron employees and his many friends in honoring his remarkable life.   

For more than three decades, our state was a fortunate beneficiary of Steve's determination and hard work.  A year after his 1982 graduation from Boise State University, he joined Micron Technology, Inc., and quickly ascended from working on Micron's high-tech assembly line to leading the company as CEO, president and chairman.  His talent and energy helped overcome significant challenges and shaped Micron into a multinational world leader in semiconductors.  As Kurt Marko, a co-worker at Micron, poignantly described him, "Appleton personified Micron's can-do spirit.  He, and it, defied the odds." 

Steve leaves behind a legacy of hard work, focus, integrity and generosity.  He was driven to reach remarkable achievements and was generous in sharing the rewards of that hard work to better our state and future generations of Idahoans.  For example, he gave his time and financial resources to help Boise State University develop its College of Engineering; raised funds for scholarships, programs, buildings and projects, including the Appleton Tennis Complex; and established the Micron Foundation.  Due to his efforts, our state and nation will be better equipped to compete globally.

We were honored to have many opportunities to work with Steve over the years.  His pragmatic approach was instrumental in achieving remedies needed to better ensure a level playing field for U.S. semiconductor products and address unfair trading practices.  No matter the challenges, Steve faced them with optimism and sensibility.

Steve's adventurous spirit was widely known and well documented.  His passion for sports and competition contributed to him excelling in tennis, including winning the doubles title at the Big Sky Tennis Championship in 1982.  Besides his love of aviation, he also was involved in a number of adventure sports including, off-road car racing, scuba diving, wakeboarding, motocross and more.             

Steve Appleton's energy and commitment to Idaho will not be forgotten.  He has set an extraordinary example of what hard work and initiative in a free enterprise system can achieve.  He helped create thousands of jobs and cemented Idaho's standing in the high-tech field.  His innovation, drive and forward-thinking approach, as well as his wonderful friendship, will be greatly missed."

You may access the Senators' websites through the following links:  https://www.crapo.senate.gov/and http://www.risch.senate.gov/.

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