Glen Culler
Glen Jacob Culler | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date United States |
| Died | May 3, 2003 (aged 75) |
| Occupation(s) | Electrical engineering professor, computer scientist, entrepreneur |
| Years active | 1959–1984 |
| Known for | Early Internet technology, Culler-Fried Online System, ARPANET node |
Glen Jacob Culler (July 7, 1927 – May 3, 2003) was an American electrical engineering professor and a trailblazer in the foundational stages of Internet technology. He joined the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) mathematics department in 1959, playing a key role in establishing the university as a leader in the nascent field of computer science. Subsequently, he led the UCSB Computer Center and held a professorship within the College of Engineering, where he championed the integration of computing into educational practices. In 1969, Culler transitioned from academia to entrepreneurship by founding Culler-Harrison, which later transformed into CHI Systems and eventually Culler Scientific.
His children include prominent figures such as computer scientist David Culler, acclaimed mathematician Marc Culler, and Randall Culler, a practitioner of Jin Shin Jyutsu. His daughter, Katharyn Culler Cohen, focuses on consulting for small businesses and non-profit organizations.
Work
In the mid-1960s, Culler created the Culler-Fried Online System, among the earliest interactive computing platforms. This system introduced the innovative use of a storage oscilloscope to display graphical data, significantly advancing mathematical education. It incorporated an early form of object-oriented design by applying operations like addition, subtraction, sine, and exponential functions to various mathematical entities including scalars, vectors, arrays, and matrices.
The system’s interpreted programming language, MOLSF (Mathematically-Oriented Language, Single-Precision, Floating-point), employed a customized double QWERTY keyboard equipped with special functions and APL-like features. Although it offered smooth graphical integration, users found it difficult to memorize commands.
Another language developed for the system was COL (Card-Oriented Language), which resembled contemporary text editors but was not compatible with MOLSF. The Culler-Fried System was utilized at UCSB, UCLA, and TRW.
In 1969, Culler's system at UCSB was chosen by ARPA as one of the initial four nodes on the original ARPANET, collaborating with UCLA in conducting the first packet data transmission that laid the foundation for today's Internet.
Culler-Harrison is recognized as an antecedent to both Floating Point Systems, Inc. and the Very Long Instruction Word (VLIW) architecture developed by Joseph Fisher and James Ellis.
From 1982 to 1984, Culler served as an adjunct professor at UCSB. His efforts and those of UCSB’s College of Engineering Computer Research Laboratory contributed to the creation of over 25 companies in Santa Barbara, including ventures like Culler Harris and Culler Scientific.
Awards
In 2000, President of the United States Bill Clinton honored Culler with the National Medal of Technology in recognition of his groundbreaking contributions to computing. These included advancements in digital speech processing, development of the first online interactive graphical mathematics computing system, and foundational involvement in ARPAnet’s creation.
Additionally, he was awarded the Seymour Cray Computer Science and Engineering Award by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.