Ralph Palmer
Ralph Lee Palmer (born June 19, 1909 in Catskill , New York , † May 10, 2005 in Delray Beach , Florida ) was an American computer engineer.
Palmer graduated from Union College in Schenectady with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1931. Palmer joined IBM in Endicott in 1932 . In 1939 he became manager of the development department in Poughkeepsie . During World War II he worked in cryptanalysis - he worked on the US Navy version of the bomb (a simulation machine for the German Enigma that the Poles developed and then the British). After the war he designed the IBM 604 and was one of Thomas J. Watson's leading consultants in the development of the IBM 701 . In 1954, after successfully completing the project, he became director of the engineering department at IBM.
The IBM 604 and its predecessor the IBM 603 used for the first time to a large extent electronic components in an IBM computer for the mass market, whereby the 603 still had limited functions (as a multiplier). They used experience from secret war work on cryptographic machines. The 604 was delivered in 1948.
In 1963 he became an IBM Fellow . In 1983 he became a member of the National Academy of Engineering , of which he was Vice President.
In 1989 he received the Computer Pioneer Award .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Oral History Interview by Dunwell, pdf ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Biographical entry at the NAE
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Palmer, Ralph |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Palmer, Ralph L. |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American computer scientist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 19, 1909 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Catskill (New York) |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 10, 2005 |
| Place of death | Delray Beach |