Bio
1903–1995 (91)
Son of a Bulgarian immigrant. B.S. in electrical engineering (University of Florida, 1925), M.S. in mathematics (Iowa State College, 1926), Ph.D. in theoretical physics (University of Wisconsin, 1930). Professor of mathematics and physics at Iowa State in Ames; later lived and worked in Washington, D.C., then Maryland.
Major accomplishment
With graduate student Clifford Berry, he built the Atanasoff–Berry Computer (ABC) at Iowa State (1939–1942), an electronic, binary, digital machine for solving systems of linear equations. In 1973, the Honeywell v. Sperry Rand trial credited him as the inventor of the electronic digital computer and invalidated the ENIAC patent, putting that architecture in the public domain.
Memorable quote
“During that evening in the Illinois roadhouse, I made four decisions for my computer project… I am now amazed and pleased to find that each of my four decisions relates to structures that are in use in modern computers.”
(From his account of the 1937–38 night he locked in electricity/electronics, binary, regenerative capacitor memory, and direct logical computation.)
Fun fact
Iowa State funded the first ABC prototype with a $650 grant. Atanasoff and Berry built a working “breadboard” model in about one semester.
Takeaways
Strive for goodness, not greatness. Atanasoff proves that you by staying humble and focusing on yourself and your work, you can still accomplish remarkable things without turning into a jerk. Do the best work you can without trading away being a decent collaborator, mentor, or friend.
When you’re stuck, don’t force the solution. Instead, spend time in the problem space, then write your non-negotiable requirements before you worry about how you’ll build it.
Keep a dated log of how your thinking evolves. Atanasoff’s notes later proved he invented the computer. What would your notebook prove about the problem you’re wrestling with now?
Keep exploring
Video: The Forces That Led to the Atanasoff-Berry Electronic Computer (Atanasoff’s own 1980 lecture)
Book: Jane Smiley, The Man Who Invented the Computer