Gillespie, Robert G. 81 May 18, 1933 Oct. 11, 2014 Robert "Bob" Gillespie, 81, died Oct. 11, 2014, after a struggle with Lewy body disease. His last days in hospice care were peaceful and he was surrounded by loved ones during his final hours. Bob was born May 18, 1933, in Tacoma. He graduated from Grant High School in Portland, and then attended Reed College. Bob graduated with a B.A. in Mathematics and formed a lifelong connection with Reed, serving on the board of trustees from 1996 to 2000. Following graduation in 1955, Bob entered the new field of digital computing. He first worked at Convair Astronautics, where he developed simulations for rocket guidance. Next, he was responsible for software research and architecture at Boeing, and then worked at Control Data doing advanced software development. Bob spent the following 15 or so years at the University of Washington, first as director of the computer center, then as vice provost for computing and as a member of the computer science department. In 1984, he co-founded the consulting firm of Gillespie, Folkner and Associates, which assisted in information technology planning for institutions of higher education, Federal and State agencies and the computing industry. In 1992, he founded Robert Gillespie Associates, which provided counsel on national issues of networks for universities and other partners. He was also an adviser on national computing and network policy issues for the Higher Education and Library Coalition on Information Policy, a coalition of national higher education and library associations. Bob was a visionary, long anticipating the growth of technology and the internet; because of his early advocacy, he had a profound influence on federal policies that shaped technology in higher education. He played a seminal role in the founding of computing organizations such as Northwest Academic Computing Consortium (NWACC), EDUCOM (now EDUCAUSE) and the Seminars on Academic Computing. As one of the earliest figures to rightfully be considered a university chief information officer, Bob was a model for subsequent generations of higher education IT leaders. In 1996, he was the recipient of the Kaul Foundation Award of Excellence for achievements as an educator, author and expert in the field of computing the 2009 EDUCAUSE Leadership Award in recognition of contributions to the computing profession and in 2011, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the NWACC for his role in creating that organization. Bob also had a rich and rewarding family life. He married Mary Jo Mickelson in 1953, and they enjoyed 61 years of marriage. Together, they raised two sons, Peter and Scott. Time every summer was devoted to camping, hiking, vacationing in the San Juan Islands and traveling the Pacific Northwest and beyond to visit wineries and friends. They also loved to hunt for edible mushrooms, particularly morels in the spring and chanterelles in the fall. Wine and food were two of Bob's main passions. In addition to wine tasting, he made wine for many years and never stopped researching and collecting favorite wines. He was an outstanding cook. He cooked for the family beginning in the '70s, inspiring his sons to also become happy denizens of the kitchen. Two of his other passions were fishing, particularly for ling cod and salmon in the San Juan Islands, and mountain climbing, both in the Cascades and in the Olympics. Bob is survived by his wife, Mary Jo; sons, Peter Barr-Gill- espie and Scott Gillespie; daughters-in-law, Ann Barr-Gill- espie and Nancy Gillespie; and grandchildren, Katie and Aidan Gillespie. For those who wish, donations may be made in his name to Reed College.

Robert Gordon Gillespie ’55, October 11, 2014, in Portland, after a struggle with Lewy body disease. A pioneer in the field of IT in higher education, and one of the first people to be considered a chief information officer in a university setting, Bob graduated from Grant High School in Portland and earned a BA from Reed in mathematics. “The process, the challenge, the demands prepared me to be creative, confident, and a risk taker.” He maintained a lifelong connection to the college and served as an alumni trustee in 1996–2000. After Reed, Bob entered the new field of digital computing. He first worked at Convair Astronautics, where he developed simulations for rocket guidance. Next, he was responsible for software research and architecture at Boeing, and then worked at Control Data doing software development. But it was at the University of Washington, where he served as director of the computer center and vice provost for computing, that he found his true calling.

Bob was a visionary, long anticipating the growth of technology and the internet; because of his early advocacy, he had a profound influence on federal policies that shaped technology in higher education. He assisted in the founding of computing organizations such as the Northwest Academic Computing Consortium, EDUCOM (now EDUCAUSE), and the Seminars on Academic Computing, and was a model for subsequent generations of higher education IT leaders. His work was recognized with the Kaul Foundation Award of Excellence for achievements as an educator, author, and expert in the field of computing in 1996; the 2009 EDUCAUSE Leadership Award in recognition of contributions to the computing profession; and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the NWACC in 2011 for his role in creating that organization.

In 1984, he cofounded the consulting firm of Gillespie, Folkner and Associates, which assisted in information technology planning for institutions of higher education, federal and state agencies, and the computing industry. In 1992, he founded Robert Gillespie Associates, which provided counsel on national issues of networks for universities and other partners. He was also an adviser on national computing and network policy issues for the Higher Education and Library Coalition on Information Policy, a coalition of national higher education and library associations.

Bob also had a rich and rewarding family life. He and Mary Jo Mickelson ’55 married in 1953 and raised two sons, Peter Barr-Gillespie ’81 and Scott Gillespie ’84. The family enjoyed summertime camping, hiking, vacationing in the San Juan Islands, and traveling the Pacific Northwest and beyond to visit wineries and friends. They also enjoyed hunting for edible mushrooms, particularly morels in the spring and chanterelles in the fall. Wine and food were two of Bob’s main passions. In addition to wine tasting, he made wine for many years and never stopped researching and collecting favorite wines. He was an outstanding cook and inspired his sons to also become happy denizens of the kitchen. Two of his other passions were fishing, particularly for ling cod and salmon in the San Juan Islands, and mountain climbing, both in the Cascades and in the Olympics.

“Owing to the fact that Bob outlived so many of his peers, there are relatively few people in the profession today who know Bob or his work,” writes Marty Ringle, Reed’s chief information officer. “Being modest by nature, he spent no time engraving his name on the initiatives he championed; hence, his legacy may be obscure to all but those closest to him. But to those of us who knew him he is, and always will be, the mentor who showed us not only how to be IT leaders, but also why. Rest well, Bob, you’ve earned it.” Survivors include Mary Jo; Peter, and Scott; daughters-in-law Ann Barr-Gillespie ’82 and Nancy Gillespie; grandchildren Katie and Aidan Gillespie; and his brother Bruce. The family suggests donations in his name to Reed College.

Appeared in Reed magazine: March 2015

Computer Center

• Robert G. Gillespie, B.A., Director

• William L. Clark, M.S.E., Assistant Director

• Hellmut Golde, Ph.D., Assistant Director Roberts Hall Addition [See Hellmut Paul Oscar Golde (born 1930) ]

The Computer Center, established in 1956, provides computer services for the University of Washington and the community for education, research, and administrative uses. The principal computers now installed include a Burroughs 5500 and a Control Data Corporation- 6400. Also available are key-punch/EAM, auxiliary card-handling equipment with service provided for self-service use; graphics equipment, including mechan- ical plotting equipment allowing automatic plotting of information and a digital recording system capable of reading coordinates from maps, graphs, film, etc., and recording them on magnetic tape; and terminals which make possible text editing from teletypes directly connected to the B5500.

The Center offers specialized training through non- credit classes in programming languages and operating systems needed to use the computer systems in the Computer Center. Other services available are consultation; an information center that includes reference materials, computer manuals, and special program libraries; and professional programming.

Computer Center

• Robert G. Gillespie , B.A., Director Computer Center SC-10

• Charles W. Dickens, Assistant.Director

• Scott A. Eyler, Assistant Director

• Monique Rona, Assistant Director [See Monique R Rona (born 1928) ]

The Computer Center, established in 1956, provides computer services for the University of Washington and the community for education, research, and administrative uses. The principal. computers now installed include a Burroughs 5500 and .3. Control Data Corporation-6400. Also available are key-punch/EAM, auxiliary card-handling equipment with service provided for self-servi~ use; graphics equipment, including mechanical · plotting equipment allowing automatic plotting of information and a digital. recording system capable of reading coor:dinates from maps, graphs, film, etc., and recording them on magnetic tape; and terminals which make possible text editing and remote job entry from teletypes directly connected to the B5500 and the CDC 6400.

[...]

The University of Washington Computer Center is equipped with a CDC 6400 computer system, a ,Burroughs-B5500, and miscellaneous supporting equipment.

Ii! provides compu~g services to all areas of the University and is also available. to all students. Robert G. Gillespie is the Director, Charles W. Dickens, Monique Rona, arid Scott Eyler are Assistant Directors of the Computer Center.

Information and Communications Technologies Appropriate in Education (including H.R. 4326)

Biographical Data Robert G. Gillespie September 1979

• Education

  • • B.A. in Mathematics in 1955 from Reed College, Portland, Oregon.

    • Thesis: "Sequential Machines: A Reduction of their Matrix Representation to a Conical Form."

    • Graduate work in Mathematics at the University of Washington.

• Publications

  • • "Health Care Administration: Prescription for Bureaucracy," to be published in proceedings of SIGBIO Symposium, 1977 NCC

    • Contributor to the book "Networks for Research Education" MIT Press, 1974

    • "Allocation of Resources in a Joint (Academic/Administration) Computer Center," published in the Proceedings of the 1971 Conference of Academic Computer Center Directors, University of Colorado

    • "The Integration of Batch and Timesharing Services" (with G. Houston), December 1971, The British Computer Journal

    • "University/Computer Center Interfaces or One Bureau in a Bureaucracy," Proceedings of the 1970 Academic Computer Center Directors Seminar, University of Colorado

    • "The Anatomy of an Interactive Graphics Display Project: An Engineering Tool," Proceedings of Graphics 1970, Brunel University, England, 1970 -

    • "Purchasing Packaged Software--A Customer's Point of View" (with D. Burke), Computers and Automation, February, 1970

    • "On the Analysis of Sequential Machines" (with D. Aufenkamp), IRE Transation of Electronic Computers, June, 1958

• Professional Activities

  • • Current

      • • Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics

        • American Mathematics Society

        • Association for Computing Machinery *.

        • EDUCOM, Inter-university Communications Council, Institutional Representative

        • Washington Higher Education Computing Consortium, Board Member

        • Academic Computer Center Directors Conference (Board of Directors)

    • Past

      • • Washington/Alaska Regional Medical Program, member, Advisory Committee

        • Chairman, EDUCOM Council

        • Vice President, VIM, Inc. (CDC Users Group)

        • Systems Division Chairman, SHARE

        • President, Puget Sound ACM Chapter

        • NSF Advisory Panel Member "Evaluating Instructional Computing"

• Consulting

  • • The University of Wyoming: A review of their computing center, April 1970; Review of Computer Plans, May 1978

    • U.S. Forest Service, Computing Science Branch, 1970–

    • The University of Arizona: A review of their computing center, February 1971; review 1976

    • The Bonneville Power Authority: -Review of computing and planning, 1972

    • Washington-Alaska Marine Fisheries Council: Analysis of Fish Catch data base, 1979 .

• Community Service

  • • Seattle Science Center: Public Computer Night, April 1977

    • Seattle Opera Society: Review of computer services, May 1975

    • Lakeside School: Development of plan for computer use, March 1974

    • Bellevue School System: Director for the 70's (Computing) 1969

    • Seattle Art Museum: Consultant for computerized membership program, November 1977–January 1978

• Grants

  • • Principal investigator "Issues and Opportunities: Computing and Higher Education," $95,253 from National Science Foundation 1979–1980

    • Co-principal investigator "Terminal and Software Facilities," $250,000 from Control Data Corporation, 1970–1973

    • Co-principal investigator "Software Development for the CDC 2550 Series Host Communication Processor," $150,000 from Control Data Corporation, 1975–1976

• Positions

  • • The University of Washington 1969–

      • • Vice Provost for Computing Lecturer, Computer Science

        • Responsible for the overall management of computing resources, including academic (research and instruction), administrative, and hospital computing resources.

        • Responsible for planning, budgeting, and equipment liaison with State and Federal agencies. Previously Director, Office of Academic Computing Services; Director, Computer Center.

    • The Boeing Company 1966–1969

      • • Chief, Advanced Development

        • Directed software research and development (including graphics, timesharing, administrative software packages, structured design procedures, experimental MIS development).

    • The Control Data Corporation 1965-66

      • • Manager, Advanced Development

        • Directed software research and preliminary design for development of compilers, operating systems and languages, including projects such as a timesharing system implemented on the CDC 3300, CDC 6600 operating systems, PL-1, etc. Directed corporate computer planning and preliminary design for several major computer projects including Star. Initiated and developed software engineering procedures used to control design development, and implementation of major projects.

    • The Boeing Company, Aerospace Division 1957-1965

      • • Chief, Computing Systems

        • Responsible for operating system development, computer planning and evaluation as well as a variety of management assignments in operations/ research, simulation, and programming applications (including the first use of PERT, first implementation of multi-program systems, remote systems, etc.).

    • Convair Astronautics 1955-1957

      • • Programming and engineering assignments including the development of the first digital/analog simulation with an early (ERA 1103) digital computer.

          • NOTE - The "ERA 1103" is also known as the UNIVAC 1103 (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNIVAC_1103 ) ; This was the predecessor to the 1101

          • wow - "Even before the completion of the Atlas (UNIVAC 1101), the Navy asked Engineering Research Associates to design a more powerful machine. This project became Task 29, and the computer was designated Atlas II.

          • In 1952, Engineering Research Associates asked the Armed Forces Security Agency (the predecessor of the NSA) for approval to sell the Atlas II commercially. Permission was given, on the condition that several specialized instructions would be removed. The commercial version then became the UNIVAC 1103. Because of security classification, Remington Rand management was unaware of this machine before this. The first commercially sold UNIVAC 1103 was sold to the aircraft manufacturer Convair, where Marvin Stein worked with it."

          • [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering_Research_Associates ]Engineering Research Associates, commonly known as ERA, was a pioneering computer firm from the 1950s. ERA became famous for their numerical computers, but as the market expanded they became better known for their drum memory systems. They were eventually purchased by Remington Rand and merged into their UNIVAC department. Many of the company founders later left to form Control Data Corporation.