Editing Steve Appleton

{{Short description|American businessman (1960–2012)}}
{{About|the American businessman|the British musician|Stevie Appleton}}
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| birth_date = {{birth date|1960|3|31}}
| birth_place = [[California]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2012|2|3|1960|3|31}}
| death_place = [[Boise, Idaho]], U.S.
| resting_place =Dry Creek Cemetery<br />Boise, Idaho
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| known_for = CEO of [[Micron Technology]]
| education = [[Boise State University]]<!-- business, 1983 -->
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| spouse = Dalynn
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'''Steven R. Appleton''' (March 31, 1960 – February 3, 2012) was an American business executive, the [[Chief executive officer|CEO]] of [[Micron Technology]], based in [[Boise, Idaho]].<ref>[http://www.micron.com/about/company/leadership/steven-r-appleton Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer], www.Micron.com. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226015436/http://www.micron.com/about/company/leadership/steven-r-appleton |date=February 26, 2012 }}</ref>

Born and raised in [[Southern California]], Appleton attended [[Boise State University]] and played [[tennis]] for the [[Boise State Broncos tennis|Broncos]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=2008 feature on Micron's Steve Appleton: 'I don't have any regrets'|url=https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/2008-feature-on-microns-steve-appleton-i-dont-have-any-regrets/article_4069e259-0783-5fd7-a57b-12eb37fb11ca.html|last=Ceja|first=Brenda|website=Idaho Press|date=3 February 2012 |language=en|access-date=2020-05-20}}</ref> A&nbsp;lifelong aviation enthusiast, he died when his single-engine plane crashed shortly after takeoff from the [[Boise Airport]] on February 3, 2012.<ref>{{Cite web|title=National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Final Report|url=https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?EventID=20120203X23028&AKey=1&RType=Final&IType=FA}}</ref>

==Career==
Appleton started his career at Micron shortly after graduation from BSU in 1983, working the night shift in production for less than five dollars an hour<!--$4.46-->. He&nbsp;held a variety of positions in the company, including wafer fab manager, production manager, director of manufacturing, and vice president of manufacturing before being appointed president and COO in 1991. Appleton was appointed [[Chief executive officer|CEO]] and chairman of the board in 1994 at age 34. In January 1996, he was fired and then rehired eight days later.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/1996/20/b347578.htm|title=MICRON'S COMEBACK KID|last=Burrows|first=Peter|date=May 13, 1996|publisher=Businessweek|location=Idaho|publication-place=Boise|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118175500/http://www.businessweek.com/1996/20/b347578.htm|archive-date=2013-01-18|url-status=dead|access-date=2018-01-11}}</ref>

He formerly served on the board of directors for [[SEMATECH]], the Idaho State Supreme Court Advisory Council, and was appointed by the Clinton Administration to serve on the National Semiconductor Technology Council. At the time of his death, he was serving on the board of directors for the [[Semiconductor Industry Association]], and the board of directors for National Semiconductor Corporation, The U.S. Technology [[Chief executive officer|CEO]] Council, and was a member of the World Semiconductor Council and the Idaho Business Council. After his death, [[Mark Durcan]] assumed Appleton's position as CEO of [[Micron]].<ref name="Forbes_Durcan">{{cite news |last1=Savitz |first1=Eric |title=Micron Names Durcan CEO Following Appleton's Death |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericsavitz/2012/02/06/micron-names-duncan-ceo-following-appletons-death/#163fd7773d53 |accessdate=19 October 2018 |work=Forbes |date=February 6, 2012}}</ref>

In 2011 he received the Robert Noyce Award from the Semiconductor Industry Association.<ref>[http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/micron-technology-ceo-steve-appleton-honored-by-industry-peers-133168993.html Micron Technology CEO Steve Appleton Honored By Industry Peers], ''[[PR Newswire]]'', November 3, 2011.</ref>

==Personal life==
Appleton participated in a number of sports, including professional tennis. His hobbies included scuba diving, surfing, wakeboarding, motorcycling, and more recently, off-road car racing. His aviation background included multiple ratings and professional performances at air shows in both propeller and jet-powered aircraft. He also had a black belt in [[taekwondo]].

On the 43rd edition of the Tecate [[SCORE International|SCORE]] [[Baja 1000]] on 2010, Appleton finished 1st on a [[SCORE Class 1]] buggy and 7th overall with a time of 20:32.18.<ref>{{cite news|author=SCORE International |title=Official Results |quote=Steve Appleton 1st 7th overall |publisher=SCORE International |url=http://www.score-international.com/webresources/userfiles/File/FOURWHEELVEHICLES.pdf |access-date=2011-01-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110124053218/http://www.score-international.com/webresources/userfiles/File/FOURWHEELVEHICLES.pdf |archive-date=January 24, 2011 }}</ref>

He was married to his wife Dalynn, and had 4 children.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Beech|first=Holly|title=Micron's Steve Appleton remembered|url=https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/microns-steve-appleton-remembered/article_400b886c-5eb0-11e1-a99b-001871e3ce6c.html|access-date=2021-03-29|website=Idaho Press|date=24 February 2012 |language=en}}</ref>

==Death==
On February 3, 2012, Appleton was killed while attempting an emergency landing in a [[Lancair IV-P|Lancair IV-PT]] experimental-category, four-seat, turboprop airplane at the [[Boise Airport]]<!-- in [[Boise, Idaho]]-->, moments after taking off. He&nbsp;had aborted a take off a few minutes earlier for unknown reasons.<ref>[http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/idahostatesman/obituary.aspx?n=steve-appleton&pid=155753189 Steve Appleton Obituary], ''[[Idaho Statesman|IdahoStatesman.com]]'', Retrieved March 16, 2016.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20120203X23028&key=1&queryId=7cb402e1-03ec-4920-9158-f47f9cca344f&pgno=1&pgsize=200 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924021151/http://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20120203X23028&key=1&queryId=7cb402e1-03ec-4920-9158-f47f9cca344f&pgno=1&pgsize=200 |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 24, 2016 |title=NTSB Probable Cause Report |publisher=[[NTSB]] |access-date=September 23, 2016}} </ref>

Eight years earlier in 2004 with a passenger aboard and several miles south of the same airport, Appleton had a serious plane crash piloting an [[Extra 300]];<ref name=mpdnof>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bMcjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RNEFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2065%2C1134263 |work=Moscow-Pullman Daily News |location=(Idaho-Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Corporate chairman injured in stunt plane crash |date=July 9, 2004 |page=4A}}</ref> he&nbsp;sustained a punctured lung, head injuries, ruptured disk, and broken bones.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://aircrashed.com/cause/cSEA04FA127.shtml |title=Extra Flugzeugrau GMBH EA 300/L, Air Crash in Boise, IDAHO, USA on 7/8/2004 |website=aircrashed.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207005335/http://aircrashed.com/cause/cSEA04FA127.shtml |archive-date=February 7, 2012 }}</ref> The passenger was a Micron employee and was also injured; he was photographing Appleton for an upcoming corporate presentation.<ref name=mpdnof/>

==References==
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==External links ==
* [https://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2006-06-18-tennis-advice_x.htm 2006 Q&A with USA Today about tennis and leadership]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Appleton, Steve}}
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:2012 deaths]]
[[Category:Accidental deaths in Idaho]]
[[Category:American computer businesspeople]]
[[Category:American technology chief executives]]
[[Category:Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States]]
[[Category:Boise State Broncos men's tennis players]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from California]]
[[Category:People from Boise, Idaho]]
[[Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 2012]]
[[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Idaho]]