The Computer History Museum today announced its latest inductees as Fellows of the Museum. On October 17, industry pioneers Sir Antony Hoare, Robert Kahn, Butler Lampson and Marvin Minsky will be officially inducted at the Museum's annual Fellow Awards Dinner & Ceremony to be held in the Museum's landmark Silicon Valley building at 1401 N. Shoreline Boulevard in Mountain View, Calif.
In keeping with its mission to preserve and present for posterity the artifacts and the stories of the Information Age, the Computer History Museum Fellow Awards publicly recognize individuals of outstanding merit who have made significant, personal contributions to the development of computing. The Museum Fellow Awards tradition began in 1987 with its first Fellow, Grace Murray Hopper, who is widely known as coining the term "computer bug." Fellows are nominated by a panel composed of computer historians, Museum Fellows, their peers, staff and trustees.
"Through the Fellow Awards, the Computer History Museum honors the stories, and the history itself of these innovative pioneers. And, we ensure their legacies live on within the Museum's deep collection and its ongoing programs," said John Toole, executive director and CEO of the Computer History Museum. "This event gives us the opportunity to reflect on the contributions of these pioneers, understand the context of their innovation, and learn how they continue to impact our everyday lives."
In order to properly assess the historical importance of a prospective Fellows' contribution, at least 10 years must have elapsed between the time of the achievement and the nomination. The accomplishment must have strongly influenced the intellectual, disciplinary, or industrial underpinnings of computing.
2006 Fellow honorees include:
Over four hundred guests, including Silicon Valley business leaders, entrepreneurs, technologists, and academics, are expected to attend this annual event. Distinguished Wall Street Journal columnist, Kara Swisher, and software industry legend and 1996 CHM Fellow, Mitch Kapor, will serve as co-emcees for the evening's program. Chicago-based corporate funnyman and noted comedian, Greg Schwem, will present the evening's entertainment. Schwem's "Comedy with a Byte" takes a humorous look at the latest technology tools and the way we conduct business today.
Sponsors for the 2006 Fellow Awards Dinner & Ceremony include 1185 Design, Bill and Roberta Campbell, Cisco, Carol and Chris Espinoza, Four Seasons Hotel-Silicon Valley, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Hunter Events, Madison Tyler Technology, Microsoft Corporation, SanDisk, San Jose Mercury News, SRI, SwiftPartners, LLC, Upright Marketing and independent media consultant, Sammy Yip.
Fellow Awards event sponsorships remain available. Past sponsors have demonstrated their industry leadership by showing their support for the world's preeminent museum dedicated to computing history. For sponsorship information, please contact Kara Lee at 650.810.1033 or lee@computerhistory.org.
Proceeds support the preservation and educational missions of the Computer History Museum. For more information, please visit www.computerhistory.org or call 650.810.1010.
The Computer History Museum (CHM) in Mountain View, California, a 501(c)3 public benefit organization with a 25-year history as part of the former Boston Computer Museum, preserves and presents for posterity the artifacts and stories of the information age. Dedicated to exploring the social impact of computing technology, CHM is home to the world's largest and most significant collection of historic computer-related objects, software, documents, still and moving images and personal stories.
The Museum celebrates computing history and its people through an acclaimed speaker series, dynamic website and other public events. CHM also offers self- and docent-led tours of "Visible Storage," a display of 600 items from its collection. Its newest exhibit, "Mastering the Game: A History of Computer Chess," opened in September 2005, joining its other popular exhibit, "Innovation in the Valley." Future phases will feature full exhibits and educational programs, including the Museum's signature "Timeline of Computing History" scheduled to open in the fall of 2009, theme galleries, a research center, and much more. Please visit www.computerhistory.org or call 650.810.1010 for hours of operation and tour times. Admission is free.
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