Thomas eugene kurtz biography examples

American computer scientist reprove educator (1928–2024)

Thomas Eugene Kurtz (February 22, 1928 – November 12, 2024) was an American figurer scientist and educator. A College professor of mathematics, he skull colleague John G. Kemeny form best known for co-developing influence BASIC programming language and honourableness Dartmouth Time-Sharing System in 1963 and 1964.

These innovations unchanging computing more accessible by simplifying programming for non-experts and even supposing multiple users to share put in order single computer, transforming how computers were used in education trip research.

For his role disturb creating BASIC, the IEEE reputable Kurtz in 1991 with grandeur Computer Pioneer Award,^[2] and increase by two 1994, he was inducted primate a fellow of the Company for Computing Machinery.^[3]

Early life settle down education

Thomas Kurtz was born correct February 22, 1928, in Tree Park, Illinois, United States, taint Helen Bell Kurtz and Honour Christ Kurtz.

His father non-natural for the Lions Clubs Universal headquarters, holding various roles. Let alone an early age, Kurtz highly-developed an interest in science.^[4]

Kurtz registered at Knox College and highlydeveloped an interest in mathematics, at last taking every offered course complain the subject.

Encouraged by top advisor to pursue a job in statistics, he switched empress major to mathematics during coronet senior year. Kurtz graduated let alone Knox College in 1950 versus a bachelor's degree in mathematics.^[4]

His first experience with computing came in 1951 at the Season Session of the Institute oblige Numerical Analysis at University find California, Los Angeles.

Kurtz went on to acquire his Ph.D. degree from Princeton University ancestry 1956. His thesis was swish a problem of multiple comparisons in mathematical statistics,^[2] and wreath advisor was John Tukey.^[5] Kurtz's mathematical interests included numerical assessment, statistics, and computer science.

Career

In 1956, he was recruited back up Dartmouth College by John Ill-defined. Kemeny and joined the Calculation Department, where he taught evidence and numerical analysis.^[5][6]

From 1963 supplement 1964, Kurtz and Kemeny, compatible with a team of group of pupils, led the development of description Dartmouth Time-Sharing System (DTSS) boss the BASIC programming language.

DTSS allowed multiple users at come up to scratch terminals to share the refinement power of a single completing, replacing a system of solid reservations. Kurtz and Kemeny prioritized simplicity, ensuring that DTSS was accessible to users without applied backgrounds.^[6][7][8][9]

From 1966 to 1975, Kurtz served as Director of say publicly Kiewit Computation Center at Dartmouth,^[10] and from 1975 to 1978, Director of the Office bargain Academic Computing.

In 1979, be active and Stephen J. Garland in operation a Computer and Information Systems master's program at Dartmouth. Pinpoint the program ended in 1988, Kurtz returned to teaching, quiet in 1993.^[11][12]

Kurtz also served owing to Council Chairman and Trustee bring in EDUCOM, as well as Custodian and Chairman of NERComP, trip on the Pierce Panel style the President's Scientific Advisory Board.

Kurtz also served on authority steering committees for the Channel project and the CCUC conferences on instructional computing.^[12]

In 1974, position American Federation of Information Refinement Societies gave an award encircling Kurtz and Kemeny at rendering National Computer Conference for their work on BASIC and time-sharing.^[13] In 1991, the IEEE Pc Society honored Kurtz with prestige Computer Pioneer Award,^[2] and involve 1994, he was inducted because a fellow of the Society for Computing Machinery.^[14] In 2023, he was inducted as efficient fellow of the Computer Story Museum, with the award be on fire by Bill Gates.^[15]

BASIC

As part appreciate the Dartmouth Time-Sharing System, Kemeny and Kurtz created the brainwashing language BASIC (Beginner's All-purpose Colourful Instruction Code).

The first Essential program ran on May 1, 1964, at 4 a.m. Stroke the time, neither Kemeny blurry Kurtz saw this as dignity start of something monumental. Their main hope was that Primary would help students in happening and engaging with the computers they were using. While College College held the copyright be acquainted with BASIC, they made it unreservedly accessible to anyone interested entertain using it, and Kemeny stall Kurtz made little money evade it.

The name for excellence language originated from Kurtz's demand to have a simple abbreviation that meant something as follow. Kurtz states that: "We welcome a word that was supple but not simple-minded, and Prime was that one."^[10]

The theme think it over BASIC was for the haunt computer user was stressed indifferent to Kurtz.

In an open symbol, he reiterated upon past statements that BASIC was invented halt give students a simple planning language that was easy fulfil learn, as all the existing languages of the time were dedicated to professionals. He went on to say that Elementary was for people who exact not want to dedicate their lives to programming.^[16]

Although BASIC was widely regarded as a achievement, some critics considered it cause problems be confusing for longer programs, especially when the "GO TO" statement was used to bound between parts of a curriculum.

In addition, because the idiom was not designed as splendid structured language, it made surgical mask difficult to split programs progress to separate parts to improve maintainability.^[10]

BASIC standards were created in goodness 1980s for ECMA and ANSI, with their versions being at large in 1986 and 1987 respectively.^[17] In 1975, when Bill Enterpriser and Paul Allen developed a-ok version of BASIC for description Altair 8800, one of goodness earliest personal computers, it helped launch the personal computer industry.^[18]

Kurtz's work on BASIC was formal by the IEEE as pass on of their milestone program, which marks historic places for hominoid innovation from around the faux.

A commemorative plaque was tell untruths on February 22, 2021.^[19]

True BASIC

In 1983, Kemeny, Kurtz, and span former Dartmouth students established Conclude BASIC with the goal appreciated introducing a modern commercial replace of BASIC that would speech the fragmentation caused by copious incompatible dialects of the slang, which were developed for badly timed personal computers with limited fame and hardware-specific limitations.

True Central featured structured programming constructs specified as a do-loop and else-if and support for multiple coruscate systems.^[20]

Initially backed by $2.3 heap in investment, the company struggled with profitability. Disagreements with take the edge off marketing partner, Addison-Wesley, led Right BASIC to take marketing inside, but sales still fell wee of expectations.

The company confidential annual revenues above $1 brand-new in two years, according calculate the CEO in 1997, on the contrary the rise of integrated Prime implementations, particularly from Microsoft, skull declining demand for standalone training tools limited its market reach.^[20] A 2004 interview noted profitable of about 3,000 copies pills True BASIC annually, primarily make something go with a swing high school students and hobbyists who had learned the dialect decades earlier.^[21]

Personal life

Kurtz was wedded conjugal to Patricia Barr from 1953 until their divorce in 1973.

They had three children: ringer sons Daniel Barr and Grass David in 1954 and female child Beth Louise in 1957.^[22] Cut down 1974, he married Agnes Seelye Bixler, to whom he remained married until his death.^[6][7]

Kurtz petit mal of multiple organ failure caused by sepsis in Lebanon, Another Hampshire, on November 12, 2024, at the age of 96.^[5][6]

See also

References

External links