Honor Roll Committee
Honor Roll Committee Search
In 2026, IT History Society, Inc. intends to reconstitute the Honor Roll Committee to guide the identification, research, and recognition of individuals whose contributions to information technology have been historically significant, but are sometimes under-documented, misunderstood, or overlooked.
The Society’s roots are closely connected to the earliest efforts to document the history of computing. Charles Babbage is widely recognized as the “Father of Computing” for his work on the Difference Engine, yet far fewer people are familiar with Countess Ada Lovelace. Lovelace played a central role as a financier and interpreter of Babbage’s work, and she also emerged as a visionary mathematician and logician in her own right. She articulated the idea that a computational device might extend beyond arithmetic to address broader problems of logic, and even imagined that such machines could someday create poetry or art. She is widely credited with writing and publishing what is regarded as the first computer program.
While those concerned with the under-representation of women in computing will recognize figures such as Ada Lovelace and Katherine Johnson, there are many thousands of other contributors, spanning different disciplines, industries, and eras, whose work remains insufficiently recognized. A central aim of the Honor Roll is to encourage research into these overlooked figures and to ensure that their contributions are documented, contextualized, and given appropriate recognition.
We are seeking committee members with the judgment, credibility, and curiosity required to evaluate historical impact across many domains of computing. Ideal candidates may include individuals with one or more of the following backgrounds:
- academic historians of computing or technology
- computer scientists or engineers with deep historical perspective
- industry veterans with long firsthand experience in major technology transitions
- archivists, curators, or librarians familiar with primary-source research
- well-published authors or researchers in the field of computing history
- individuals with demonstrated ability to synthesize technical, social, and institutional context
The committee’s work will include identifying gaps in existing recognition, encouraging fresh research, reviewing nominations, and helping articulate why particular contributions mattered in their historical moment.
Appointments to the Honor Roll Committee will be made by the Board.
Inventor of the microprocessor
Former Honor Roll Committee
At an earlier stage, the Honor Roll was stewarded by a committee whose members helped shape the initial criteria and review process. The Society gratefully acknowledges their service and contributions.
- Dr. Glenn Bugos — Moment LLC
- James Cortada — IBM Corporation
- Michael Geselowitz — IEEE History Center
- Dr. John Impagliazzo — Hofstra University
- Jeffery Stein — IT History Society
- Dr. Arthur Tatnall — IFIP Working Group 9