Maurice Wilkes

British computer scientist (1913–2010)

Professor Sir Maurice Vincent Wilkes (26 June 1913, Dudley, Worcestershire – 29 November 2010) was a British computer scientist, called the "father of British computing".[1]

Maurice Vincent Wilkes
Sir Maurice Wilkes
Born26 June 1913
Died29 November 2010

Career

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He invented the first usable stored program computer called EDSAC (Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator) at Cambridge University in 1949.[2]

He also developed the idea of using software to program a computer, instead of a fixed electronic circuit.[2] He was knighted for his achievements in 2000.

Wilkes was the first President of the British Computing Society.

Awards

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  • The Turing Award (1967)
  • The Faraday Award (1981)
  • The Kyoto Prize for advanced Technology (1992)
  • The IEEE 60th Anniversary Award (2007)

References

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  1. "Professor Sir Maurice Wilkes – the 'father' of British computing". topnews.us. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2010 – via TopNews United States.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Sir Maurice Wilkes: 1913 to 2010". bcs.org. Archived from the original on 6 December 2010. Retrieved 1 December 2010 – via News Archive | Latest BCS News | News | Opinion, News, Analysis | BCS - The Chartered Institute for IT.