John Backus, 'Father of Fortran,' Dead at 82 -- Campus Technology

STEM and STEAM

John Backus, 'Father of Fortran,' Dead at 82

By Paul McCloskey
03/27/07

John W. Backus, the IBM computer scientist who developed the FORTRAN programming language in the 1950s, died at age 82 March 17 in Ashland, OR. FORTRAN was the first successful high-level programming language.

Backus received a BS in mathematics from Columbia University's School of General Studies in 1949. He worked at IBM Watson Lab at Columbia University from 1950 to 1952 and went on to lead IBM's Programming Research Group.

"Much of my work has come from being lazy," Backus told Think, the IBM employee magazine, in 1979. "I didn't like writing programs, and so, when I was working on the IBM 701 [an early computer], writing programs for computing missile trajectories, I started work on a programming system to make it easier to write programs."

Read More:

John Backus Biographical Information

About the Author

Paul McCloskey is contributing editor of Syllabus.

E-Mail this page

Printable Format

Featured

Windows Server 2025 Release Offers Cloud, Security, and AI Capabilities

Microsoft has announced the general availability of Windows Server 2025. The release will enable organizations to deploy applications on-premises, in hybrid setups, or fully in the cloud, the company said.
Ball State U Rolls Out Pathify Digital Engagement Hub

Ball State University has launched a new MyBallState portal for its 20,000 students, 4,000 employees, and other constituents that provides personalized information and access to campus services.
Purdue Opens Large Esports Facility

Purdue University has opened a new gaming lounge for students training and competing in esports as well as casual gamers. The institution partnered with Dell Technologies to outfit the 2,000-square-foot-space with Alienware gaming equipment.
Delightful Progress: Kuali's Legacy of Community and Leadership

CEO Joel Dehlin updates us on Kuali today, and how it has thrived as a software company that succeeds in the tech marketplace while maintaining the community values envisioned in higher education years ago.