Oral history interview with Alexander A. McKenzie

Abstract

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.