Browsing by Subject "Computer science -- United States -- Research"
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Item Oral history interview with Alexander A. McKenzie(Charles Babbage Institute, 1990-03-13) McKenzie, Alexander A. (Alexander Anderson), 1940-Following a brief overview of his background, McKenzie discusses his connection with the ARPANET project at Bolt Beranek and Newman (BBN), including an indirect influence on hardware selection, his early role as a project generalist responsible for handling user questions and giving presentations about the ARPANET, and the running of the Network Control Center (NCC). McKenzie addresses why the NCC was set up, how it expanded, his view of the computer utility concept, and his interactions with the IPT Office, the other members of the group at BBN, and the rest of the community. The interview ends with an evaluation of the impact of the ARPANET. This interview was recorded as part of a research project on the influence of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on the development of computer science in the United States.Item Oral history interview with Antonín Svoboda(Charles Babbage Institute, 1979-11-15) Svoboda, AntonínSvoboda describes his research on computing in Czechoslovakia, France, and the United States. He begins by discussing his early career: his electrical engineering education in Prague, the differential analyzer he built for the French during World War II for fire control, and his work in New York for the ABAX Corporation on Bofort anti-aircraft guns. He explains how MIT became interested in his work on linkage computers for aiming guns automatically and describes the two-part linkage computer system he built for them, the OMAR and the Mark 56. On his return to Czechoslovakia in 1948, the Research Institute of Mathematics asked Svoboda to develop computing machines, and funded his visits to major digital computer projects. He recounts visits to Harvard, the Institute for Advanced Study, and the University of Pennsylvania. In 1951 he began work on Czechoslovakia's first (electromechanical) digital computer, the SAPO, and its successful completion despite interference from the Communist government. He also mentions the EPOS computer he built in Czechoslovakia in the early 1960s. Svoboda describes his escape to the U.S. in 1964 and his appointment at UCLA. He concludes by assessing his greatest contributions: the use of graphical and mechanical means to teach logical design, the solution of multiple output optimization, and the Boolean analyzer (a parallel processing unit on Boolean algebra).Item Oral history interview with Charles Herzfeld(Charles Babbage Institute, 1990-08-06) Herzfeld, CharlesAfter a brief discussion of his professional career at the Naval Research Laboratory and the National Bureau of Standards, the interview turns to programs in and administration of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Herzfeld describes his tasks as program director of the Defender program and his interactions with different management levels at the Department of Defense. The major portion of the interview is a discussion of his knowledge of the Information Processing Techniques Office (IPTO) program and his interaction with IPTO personnel.Item Oral history interview with David C. Walden(Charles Babbage Institute, 1990-02-06) Walden, David C.Following a brief overview of his background, Walden traces his involvement with the ARPANET, from discussions before the official DARPA request was issued to his later management of the project at Bolt Beranek and Newman (BBN). He discusses the people involved in the ARPANET work at BBN and how they were influenced by their previous work developing real-time computer systems at Lincoln Laboratory. Walden describes the working environment of the group at BBN and their relationships with the IPT Office, other DARPA contractors, and the larger community. This interview was recorded as part of a research project on the influence of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on the development of computer science in the United States.Item Oral history interview with David L. Mills by Andrew L. Russell(Charles Babbage Institute, 2004-02-26) Mills, David L.Internet pioneer David L. Mills discusses his career working with computers at the intersections of academia, government, and private industry. Mills earned his Ph.D. in Computer and Communication Sciences at the University of Michigan in 1971, and then worked at the University of Maryland (1972-77), COMSAT Corporation (1977-82), and Linkabit Corporation (1982-1986) before joining the faculty of the University of Delaware in 1986. Dr. Mills invented the Network Time Protocol, chaired the Internet Architecture Task Force, and made many other significant contributions to the development of packet-switched networks and the Internet. Major topics and themes of the interview include: the evolution of the Internet standards process, the social and cultural aspects of the ARPANET and Internet research communities, international collaborations and tensions within computer networking communities in the 1970s and 1980s, the Government Open Systems Interconnection Profile (GOSIP), and his interactions with colleagues including Vinton Cerf, David D. Clark, Jon Postel, Peter Kirstein, and David Farber.Item Oral history interview with Douglas T. Ross(Charles Babbage Institute, 1989-11-01) Ross, Douglas T.Ross begins with a discussion of his early involvement with John Ward on the Cape Cod project and his early experimentation in gestalt programming with Air Force and Emerson Electric Company programmers on the 1103 at Eglin Air Force Base. He then talks about the work he directed for the Air Force under Frank Reintjes at the MIT laboratories. He discusses the APT (Automatically Programmed Tools) and AED (Automated Engineering Design) projects which were early precursors of the languages and systems of modern CAD and CAM systems. Although these projects were not supported directly by DARPA, they were run in close connection with the WHIRLWIND, TX-0, TX-2, Project MAC, and CTSS projects that were running simultaneously at MIT. Ross discusses his use of programmers from industry in these projects. He also mentions the distribution of APT through the Fortran Monitor System and discusses the relationship between AED and PL-1.Item Oral history interview with Edward Feigenbaum(Charles Babbage Institute, 1989-03-03) Feigenbaum, Edward A.Feigenbaum begins the interview with a description of his initial recruitment by ARPA in 1964 to work on a time-sharing system at Berkeley and his subsequent move to Stanford in 1965 to continue to do ARPA-sponsored research in artificial intelligence. The bulk of the interview is concerned with his work on AI at Stanford from 1965 to the early 1970s and his impression of the general working relationship between the IPT Office at ARPA and the researchers at Stanford. He discusses how this relationship changed over time under the various IPT directorships and the resulting impact it had on their AI research. The interview also includes a general comparison of ARPA with other funding sources available to AI researchers, particularly in terms of their respective funding amounts, criteria for allocation, and management style. This interview was recorded as part of a research project on the influence of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on the development of computer science in the United States.Item Oral history interview with Frank Heart(Charles Babbage Institute, 1990-03-13) Heart, FrankFollowing a brief overview of his fifteen years of experience at Lincoln Laboratory (including work on Whirlwind and SAGE), Heart describes his move to Bolt Beranek and Newman (BBN) and how he became involved with the ARPA network project. As the manager of the project at BBN for over ten years, Heart discusses his relationships with the group at BBN, DARPA and Lawrence Roberts, and the host community. Some of the problems encountered and surprises in the development of the network are addressed by Heart, as are the changes he has seen in DARPA over the years of his involvement with them. This interview was recorded as part of a research project on the influence of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on the development of computer science in the United States.Item Oral history interview with Howard Frank(Charles Babbage Institute, 1990-03-30) Frank, HowardThe interview begins with a discussion of Frank's background in networking, including his education, work in the Office of Emergency Preparedness, and founding of the Network Analysis Corporation. Frank then describes his work on the ARPANET, including his interaction with Roberts and the IPT Office, relationship with BBN and Leonard Kleinrock, and work on other network-related projects. The interview concludes with some general comments about IPTO as a government agency.Item Oral history interview with Ivan Sutherland(Charles Babbage Institute, 1989-05-01) Sutherland, Ivan Edward, 1938-Following a brief overview of his background, Sutherland describes his tenure as head of the Information Processing Techniques Office (IPTO) from 1963 to 1965. He discusses the existing programs as established by J. C. R. Licklider, his interaction with the research community, the budget, and the new initiatives started while he was there: projects in graphics and networking, the ILLIAC IV, and the Macromodule program. Other topics covered include: the difficulties of getting qualified people into the office, the impact of IPTO's funding in artificial intelligence, and the review process. This interview was recorded as part of a research project on the influence of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on the development of computer science in the United States.Item Oral history interview with John McCarthy(Charles Babbage Institute, 1989-03-02) McCarthy, John, 1927-McCarthy begins this interview with a discussion of the initial establishment and development of time-sharing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the role he played in it. He then describes his subsequent move to Stanford in 1962 and the beginnings of his work in artificial intelligence (AI) funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency. This work developed in two general directions: logic-based AI (LISP) and robotics. In the main section of the interview McCarthy discusses his view of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) role in the support of AI research in the U.S. in general and at Stanford in particular. He specifically addresses the following issues: the relative importance of DARPA funding in comparison to other public and private sources, requirements and procedures undertaken to obtain DARPA funds, and changes over time in levels of support and requirements from DARPA. McCarthy concludes this interview with a brief description of the AI Laboratory at Stanford and his continued work on AI (funded by DARPA) with the Formal Reasoning Group.Item Oral history interview with Jules I. Schwartz(Charles Babbage Institute, 1989-04-07) Schwartz, Jules I.Schwartz worked for the Rand Corporation on various defense related projects: SAGE and JOHNNIAC in particular. When Rand organized the System Development Corporation, Schwartz went to the new company. For most of the interview, Schwartz describes his association with SAGE, his part in the computer laboratory work on timesharing for the AN/FSQ-32 computer, computer networks, control system projects (such as TDMS), and his interactions with ARPA personnel, including J. C. R. Licklider, Lawrence G. Roberts, and Robert S. Taylor. He discusses his later position at Computer Sciences Corporation. This interview was recorded as part of a research project on the influence of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on the development of computer science in the United States.Item Oral history interview with Keith W. Uncapher(Charles Babbage Institute, 1989-07-10) Uncapher, Keith W.The interview begins with a review of projects at RAND when Uncapher was hired in 1950. He discusses some of the projects he was involved in or had managerial responsibility for through the early 1970s, such as JOHNNIAC, JOSS, a survivable national network, GRAIL (GRAphical Interactive Language), and some work related to the ARPANET. The formation of Information Sciences Institute (ISI), funded by DARPA, is described, as well as some of the work ISI did for DARPA/IPTO. The interview ends with Uncapher's general observations on how DARPA and IPTO have changed over his years as a contractor. This interview was recorded as part of a research project on the influence of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on the development of computer science in the United States.Item Oral history interview with Leonard Kleinrock(Charles Babbage Institute, 1990-04-03) Kleinrock, LeonardKleinrock begins the interview with a discussion of his background including his participation in the Staff Associate Program at Lincoln Laboratory in the early 1960s, his dissertation work in queuing theory, and his move to the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). As one of the main contractors for the ARPANET, Kleinrock describes his involvement in discussions before the official DARPA request was issued, the people involved in the ARPANET work at UCLA, the installation of the first node of the network, the Network Measurement Center, and his relationships with Lawrence Roberts and the IPT Office, Bolt Beranek and Newman, and the Network Analysis Corporation. This interview was recorded as part of a research project on the influence of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on the development of computer science in the United States.Item Oral history interview with Nils J. Nilsson(Charles Babbage Institute, 1989-03-01) Nilsson, Nils J., 1933-Nilsson begins the interview with a brief historical overview of DARPA-sponsored AI research at SRI, including his own work in robotics, research on the Computer Based Consultant, and related research on natural language and speech understanding. He notes the impact of the Mansfield amendment on DARPA funding for these projects at SRI. The major portion of the interview is concerned specifically with his work in robotics during the period 1966-1971. He describes the significance and relationship of this work to the larger field of AI, particularly the intellectual problems it addressed and the enabling technologies it helped develop. In the last section of the interview he gives a general impression of changes over time (from the early 1960s to the early 1970s) in funding trends and research emphases at DARPA. He concludes with a short list of contributions to AI research that came out of DARPA-sponsored work during this period.Item Oral history interview with Paul Baran(Charles Babbage Institute, 1990-03-05) Baran, PaulAfter a brief review of his education and work experience at the Eckert-Mauchly company, Raymond Rosen Engineering, and Hughes Aircraft, Baran describes his working environment at RAND, as well as his initial interest in survivable communications. He then goes on to describe the evolution of his plan for distributed networks, the objections he received, the writing and distribution of his eleven-volume work, "On Distributed Communications," and his decision against implementation of the network in 1966. Baran also touches on his interaction with the later group at ARPA who were responsible for the development of the ARPANET, and the cumulative nature of the inventive process. Baran refers to seven supporting documents during the interview. These documents are not included with the interview transcript, but photocopies are available from CBI. This interview was recorded as part of a research project on the influence of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on the development of computer science in the United States.Item Oral history interview with R. W. Taylor(Charles Babbage Institute, 1989-02-28) Taylor, R. W. (Robert William), 1932-Following a brief description of his academic and professional background before joining ARPA, Taylor describes his impression of the IPT Office when he arrived in 1965. Most of the interview is concerned with the IPT Office under Taylor's tenure as Director from 1966 to 1969. The major issues he discusses are: his understanding of the overall mission of the IPT Office at that time; the working relationship between IPTO and the Director of ARPA; the effect of external events, such as the Viet Nam war, on IPTO; how the budget process operated; what general areas of research were funded by IPTO; how IPTO compared to other government agencies in its funding of research in computer science; what sort of relationship the IPT Office maintained with its various contractors; and finally, how Taylor's successor was recruited to head the IPT Office. The interview ends with Taylor's general observations on how IPTO and ARPA have changed since their early years.Item Oral history interview with Robert E. Kahn(Charles Babbage Institute, 1990-04-24) Kahn, Robert E.The interview focuses on Kahn's role in the development of computer networking from 1967 through the early 1980s. Beginning with his work at Bolt Beranek and Newman (BBN), Kahn discusses his involvement as the ARPANET proposal was being written, his decision to become active in the implementation of the network, and his role in the public demonstration of the ARPANET. The interview continues into Kahn's involvement with networking when he moves to IPTO in 1972, where he was responsible for the administrative and technical evolution of the ARPANET, including programs in packet radio, the development of a new network protocol (TCP/IP), and the switch to TCP/IP to connect multiple networks. This interview was recorded as part of a research project on the influence of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on the development of computer science in the United States.Item Oral history interview with Severo Ornstein(Charles Babbage Institute, 1990-03-06) Ornstein, SeveroOrnstein describes his experience at Lincoln Laboratory which included work on the SAGE, TX2 and LINC computers. He discusses his involvement with the LINC project, including its move to Washington University, and the later work there on DARPA/IPTO sponsored macromodule project. As the principal hardware designer of the Interface Message Processor (IMP) for the ARPANET, Ornstein describes the IMP design work at Bolt Beranek and Newman (BBN), the working environment of the group at BBN, his relationship with Lawrence Roberts, his interactions with Honeywell, and his work on the Pluribus multi-processor IMP. Ornstein also discusses the contributions of Wesley Clark and Norman Abramson, his involvement with the Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility, and his views on artificial intelligence and time-sharing. This interview was recorded as part of a research project on the influence of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on the development of computer science in the United States.Item Oral history interview with Vinton G. Cerf(Charles Babbage Institute, 1990-04-24) Cerf, Vinton G., 1943-Following a brief overview of his background, Cerf describes his involvement with the ARPA network, including his work for the Network Measurement Center while a graduate student at UCLA, and his relationships with Bolt Beranek and Newman, Robert Kahn, Lawrence Roberts, and the Network Working Group. Other topics include: various influences on the development of the TCP/IP protocol, IPTO funding while he was at Stanford University, his decision in 1976 to become a program manager for networking projects at IPTO, and the military use of IPTO networking projects. This interview was recorded as part of a research project on the influence of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on the development of computer science in the United States.