ITHS greatly appreciates the major financial support given to the organization by the following individuals. Their contributions of time and money have been critical in carrying out our mission. Their support has enabled ITHS to fund a professorship, graduate student fellowships, conferences, and other activities that expand and enhance work in IT history. Thank you for your support.
Gene M. Amdahl
Mainframe architect and founder of Amdahl Corporation, best known as chief architect of IBM’s System/360, which reshaped large-scale commercial computing.
(d. November 10, 2015)
Isaac L. Auerbach
Engineer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who founded and served as first president of IFIP (the International Federation for Information Processing) and helped shape early international cooperation in computing.
(d. December 24, 1992)
Walter F. Bauer
Mathematician and co-founder of Informatics Inc., one of the earliest independent software companies, influential in establishing the commercial software industry.
(d. February 19, 2015)
Frank G. Chambers
Entrepreneur and philanthropist who pioneered modern venture capital in the Bay Area through his firm Continental Capital, backing many early technology companies.
(d. November 20, 1995)
Willis K. Drake
Early computer-industry executive and entrepreneur, co-founder of Control Data’s computer operations and later founder, chair, and CEO of Data Card Corporation (Datacard).
(d. August 8, 2005)
Tibor Fabian
Operations-research specialist and business leader noted for his work applying optimization and mathematical methods in industry, including long service as a director of REX Stores Corporation.
(d. December 1997)
Richard Gilder
Investor and philanthropist who transformed funding for American history and public parks, co-founding the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and providing major support to Central Park and numerous cultural institutions.
(d. May 12, 2020)
Walter Haefner
Swiss industrialist and investor who built AMAG into a major European automotive group, became the largest shareholder in CA Technologies, and owned the renowned Moyglare Stud Farm in Ireland.
(d. June 19, 2012)
Chester I. Lappen
Los Angeles attorney and business executive active in complex corporate and real-estate transactions, including service as trustee and board member for a variety of enterprises.
Donald L. Lucas
Silicon Valley venture capitalist and corporate director who backed companies such as Oracle and Cadence and was a major supporter of Stanford’s SIEPR and other academic institutions.
(d. December 27, 2019)
Stuart Mabom
Technology entrepreneur and executive associated with storage and disk-drive ventures (including roles at Micropolis and related companies) in the broader computer-hardware ecosystem.
John N. Maguire
Founder and chief executive of Software AG of North America, a key figure in bringing high-performance database and middleware technology to U.S. enterprise customers.
(d. November 27, 2012)
Dan McGurk
Computer-industry executive and investor who held senior roles at companies such as TRW and Scientific Data Systems, and later served in influential government and standards positions.
(d. September 3, 2020)
William N. Mozena
Financial executive associated with early computer and technology enterprises, active in corporate finance and governance roles within the industry.
(d. 2019)
Frank C. Mullaney
Engineer and manager at Engineering Research Associates and later Control Data Corporation, noted for his leadership on the ERA 1101 and related early stored-program computers.
(d. May 16, 2001)
Kenneth H. Olsen
Engineer and entrepreneur who co-founded Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), leading the development of minicomputers and profoundly influencing interactive and timesharing computing.
(d. February 6, 2011)
Max Palevsky
Computer-industry pioneer and venture capitalist, co-founder of Scientific Data Systems and early Intel backer, later a prominent art collector and political philanthropist.
(d. May 5, 2010)
Donald E. Peeples
Computer-services and data-processing executive who held senior management positions in the industry and contributed to the growth of several technology-related enterprises.
(d. August 30, 2015)
Douglas T. Ross
Computer scientist and founder of SofTech Inc., widely recognized for originating the term “computer-aided design” (CAD), for his work on the APT language, and for contributions to structured analysis methods.
(d. January 31, 2007)
George M. Ryan
Entrepreneur and executive who founded CADO Systems Corporation and earlier led firms developing specialized data-processing equipment for business customers.
(d. 1982)
Lawrence J. Schoenberg
Founder and CEO of AGS Computers and influential software-services leader, later renowned as a major collector of medieval and Renaissance manuscripts and supporter of the Penn Libraries.
(d. May 7, 2014)
Clarence W. Spangle
Senior computer-industry executive who led Honeywell Information Systems and later served as president and chief executive officer of Memorex Corporation.
(d. September 16, 2007)
James Thornton
Computer engineer at Control Data Corporation, best known as the chief architect of the CDC 6600 supercomputer, a landmark in high-performance computing.
(d. January 11, 2005)
Erwin Tomash
Engineer and entrepreneur who co-founded Dataproducts Corporation, a major peripheral-equipment manufacturer, and later founded the Charles Babbage Institute, helping establish computer history as a scholarly field.
(d. December 10, 2012)
Sam Wyly
Entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist who founded University Computing Company and co-founded firms such as Sterling Software and Michaels Stores, playing a prominent role in the growth of computer-services and software businesses.
