Press Release

Computing Pioneers James Gosling, Katherine Johnson, Leslie Lamport, and Louis Pouzin honored as CHM Fellows

Mountain View, California  |  February 20, 2019

The Computer History Museum (CHM), the world’s leading institution exploring the history of computing and its transformational impact on society, today proudly announced its 2019 Fellow Award honorees:

  • James Gosling: For the conception, design, and implementation of the Java programming language.
  • Katherine Johnson: For her exceptional calculations during the US space programs that brought the first humans to the Moon.
  • Leslie Lamport: For his contributions to the analysis and design of distributed computer systems, and for the initial creation of the LaTeX document production system.
  • Louis Pouzin: For the pioneering design and implementation of packet communication networks that led the way to the internet.

“We are delighted to induct these outstanding new Fellows representing important contributions in different disciplines,” said Len Shustek, CHM’s board chairman. “They are true heroes of the Digital Age.”

This year’s Fellow Awards – presented by headline sponsor Accenture for the sixth year – will take place on Saturday, May 4, 2018, at CHM. The CHM Fellow Awards is the Museum’s annual celebration of pioneering technologists and thinkers from across the computing world. Past Fellows represent the diverse ways people have contributed to computing. They include software pioneers like Frances Allen and Bjarne Stroustrup; hardware designers like Gordon Moore and Steve Wozniak; business leaders like Ken Olsen and Evelyn Berezin; and internet pioneers like Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Vint Cerf, among many others. This inspiring program, begun in 1987, is supported by collecting, education, research and media outreach, which preserves in perpetuity the seminal work of each Fellow in a rich, publicly accessible archive.

“The Fellow Awards gives us the opportunity to reflect on the contributions of remarkable pioneers, celebrate their creativity and learn how they continue to impact our everyday lives,” said Dan’l Lewin, CHM’s CEO. “We are excited to honor such a distinguished group of individuals at the 2019 Fellow Awards gala ceremony.”

Supported by technology leaders, innovators and visionaries from around world, the Fellow Awards gala ceremony is a time-honored tradition that celebrates the creative spirit and preserves the stories of each honoree, advancing the world’s collective history and inspiring future generations.

Fellow nominations are open to the public for any area of computing. Selections are made by a panel of historians, researchers, industry leaders, CHM staff and past Fellows.

Information about the 2019 Fellow Awards is available on our website.

About the Computer History Museum

The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, is a nonprofit organization with a four-decade history as the world’s leading institution exploring the history of computing and its ongoing impact on society. The Museum is dedicated to the preservation and celebration of computer history and is home to the largest international collection of computing artifacts in the world, encompassing computer hardware, software, documentation, ephemera, photographs and moving images.

The Museum brings computer history to life through large-scale exhibits, an acclaimed speaker series, a dynamic website, docent-led tours, and an award-winning education program. The Museum’s signature exhibition is “Revolution: The First 2000 Years of Computing,” described by USA Today as “the Valley’s answer to the Smithsonian.” “Make Software: Change the World,” opened in 2017, illustrates the impact of software on the world through the stories of seven iconic and widely used applications. Other current exhibits include the “Where To? A History of Autonomous Vehicles,” “Thinking Big: Ada, Countess of Lovelace,” “One Word,” and demonstration labs featuring fully restored and working models of the DEC PDP-1 and the IBM 1401 systems. For more information and updates, visit www.computerhistory.org

PRESS CONTACT:

PR Team
pr@computerhistory.org
(650) 810-1059

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