John Vincent Atanasoff's 100th Birthday Celebration – He Made a World of Difference
Gordon Bell
Thursday, 30 Oct 2003 at 7:30 pm – Stephens Auditorium - Admission Free
Computer pioneer Gordon Bell is a recipient of the National Medal of Technology and the Smithsonian/MCI Information Technology Leadership Award for Innovation and is now a senior researcher at Microsoft. He will include a rare filmed presentation of John Vincent Atanasoff discussing his invention of the first digital computer.Comments will also be provided by John Gustafson, principal investigator, High Productivity Computing Systems, Sun Microsystems, Inc.; Alice Rowe Burks, author of "Who Invented the Computer? The Legal Battle That Changed Computing History;" Bulgarian Deputy Ambassador Emil Yalnazov; and Iowa State University President Gregory Geoffroy.
Stay for the entire event, including the brief question-and-answer session that follows the formal presentation. Most events run 75 minutes.
Sign-ins are after the event concludes. For lectures in the Memorial Union, go to the information desk in the Main Lounge. In other academic buildings, look for signage outside the auditorium.
Lecture Etiquette
- Stay for the entire lecture and the brief audience Q&A. If a student needs to leave early, he or she should sit near the back and exit discreetly.
- Do not bring food or uncovered drinks into the lecture.
- Check with Lectures staff before taking photographs or recording any portion of the event. There are often restrictions. Cell phones, tablets and laptops may be used to take notes or for class assignments.
- Keep questions or comments brief and concise to allow as many as possible.