The novel man behind Novell

Ray Noorda was an uncommon man with an uncommon name. As the former CEO of Novell Inc., he was a modern-day Utah "pioneer" of technology.

Noorda died on Monday at age 82.

A native of Ogden, Noorda had a long history of lifting himself up by his own bootstraps. He worked in a dozen odd jobs as a young man — from herding sheep to picking cherries — and learned from each. He learned early about the value of an education and made sure he graduated from Weber State College. Afterward, he went to work for General Electric, where he spent the next 21 years. He became the driving force of Novell in 1983 when the company was still operating out of a truck garage. He was known for being tough, but fair — an iron will with a velvet approach.

Looking back, it may well be that Noorda's true insights about success came from those early years when he had to deal with an array of people in the workaday world. Whether selling magazines or selling candy, he learned early to keep his eye on the human side of business. When the employees are positive, the bottom line of a business is usually positive. In the upstart years at Novell, for instance, he often held "Ray meetings" and took personal interest in the lives of those who worked for him, even giving them "hugs from the boss" on birthdays. He realized that business success must be grounded on trust. And he worked hard to promote that trust. In personal style, Noorda was sometimes compared to Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart. Both were known for an off-the-cuff, approachable management style.

Ray Noorda's contributions as a business guru will require time to process. For now, it can be said that he found himself at the forefront of the computer boom, recognized the moment, seized it and worked hard to make his vision a reality through professionalism, energy and an eye for how all his decisions affected everyday people. He was the right man in the right place at the right time. His legacy is hard-wired into the American culture.