Harlan Anderson
Harlan E. Anderson | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 15, 1929 |
| Died | January 30, 2019 (aged 89) |
| Occupation(s) | Engineer, Business innovator |
| Known for | Co-founder of Digital Equipment Corporation |
Harlan E. Anderson (October 15, 1929 – January 30, 2019) was a prominent American engineer and business innovator, recognized primarily as a co-founder of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), which grew to become the second-largest computer manufacturer worldwide. His career also included work at Lincoln Laboratory within the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a role as Director of Technology at Time, Inc., where he guided initial assessments of television's impact on the future of media.
Anderson provided early-stage capital to more than twenty technology startups. He dedicated sixteen years as a trustee of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), contributed to the advisory board of the University of Illinois College of Engineering, and held a trustee position with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
His life story is detailed in the autobiography Learn, Earn & Return: My Life as a Computer Pioneer.
Education
Anderson obtained a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics followed by a Master of Science in Physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in 1951 and 1952 respectively. During his studies, he engaged in programming instruction for the ILLIAC I computer, led by computing pioneer David Wheeler from the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory, which ignited his passion for computing technology.
Digital Equipment Corporation
In 1957, Anderson partnered with his supervisor at Lincoln Laboratory, Ken Olsen, to establish Digital Equipment Corporation. They secured $70,000 in funding from American Research and Development Corporation in exchange for a 70% ownership share. Their company began operations in an old woolen mill located in Maynard, Massachusetts, with Anderson becoming the second employee. He departed DEC in 1966 due to disagreements over management with Olsen.
External links
- The Demise of Digital Equipment Corporation: What made the difference at DEC?
- The Mouse That Roared: PDP-1 Celebration Event panel, 15 May 2006
- "Remembering DEC: Memoir from Co-Founder Harlan Anderson Due Out in November" Boston Globe, October 22, 2009
- "A Personal Take on the Rise and Fall of Digital" Boston Globe, October 26, 2009