Randy Suess
Randy Suess | |
|---|---|
| Born | 27 January 1945 Skokie, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | 10 December 2019 (aged 74) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation | Computer engineer |
| Known for | Co-creator of CBBS, the first bulletin board system |
Randy John Suess (January 27, 1945 – December 10, 2019) was instrumental as the co-creator of the CBBS bulletin board, recognized as the inaugural bulletin board system (BBS) ever introduced. Alongside his partner Ward Christensen, both affiliated with the Chicago Area Computer Hobbyists’ Exchange (CACHE), Suess developed CBBS amid a Chicago snowstorm and officially launched it on February 16, 1978.
Biography
Born in Skokie, Illinois, Suess was the son of Miland, who worked as a police officer, and Ruth (née Duppenthaler), a nurse by profession. Following his Navy service, he pursued studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle and gained employment with IBM and Zenith.
While Christensen was responsible for creating the software that initiated automatically when users connected, Suess constructed the physical equipment that powered CBBS. To minimize long-distance fees for local callers, he operated CBBS from his residence in Chicago’s Wrigleyville district. By the time CBBS ceased operations in the 1980s, its single telephone line had managed more than 500,000 calls. Notably, at least one CBBS instance was still functioning as of August 2020.
Beyond his pioneering work with CBBS, Suess was also an amateur radio enthusiast holding the call sign WB9GPM and played a role in maintaining radio repeater networks through involvement with the Chicago FM Club.
In recognition of their groundbreaking contribution to telecommunications, Suess and Christensen were honored with a Dvorak Telecommunications Excellence Award in 1992. Their story was also highlighted in the 2005 film BBS: The Documentary.