John Vincent Atanasoff

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John Vincent Atanasoff (1903-1995) taught at Iowa State for 15 years. He earned his master's degree in mathematics at Iowa State in 1926. A professor of mathematics and physics, he invented the electronic digital computer for solving large systems of simultaneous linear equations. Atanasoff and one of his graduate students, the late CliffordBerry?, designed and built a prototype of his invention between 1937 and 1942.

Atanasoff's computer was overshadowed by the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), a machine built in 1945 in Pennsylvania that was credited as the first computer.

A federal judge recognized Atanasoff's work and voided Sperry Rand's patent on the ENIAC in 1973, saying it had been derived from Atanasoff's invention.

The Atanasoff-Berry Computer was the world's first electronic digital computer. It was built by John Vincent Atanasoff and Clifford Berry at Iowa State University during 1937-42. It incorporated several major innovations in computing including the use of binary arithmetic, regenerative memory, parallel processing, and separation of memory and computing functions. On October 19, 1973, US Federal Judge Earl R. Larson signed his decision following a lengthy court trial which declared the ENIAC patent of Mauchly and Eckert invalid and named Atanasoff the inventor of the electronic digital computer -- the Atanasoff-Berry Computer or the ABC.

Clark Mollenhoff in his book, Atanasoff, Forgotten Father of the Computer, details the design and construction of the Atanasoff-Berry Computer with emphasis on the relationships of the individuals. Alice and Arthur Burks in their book, The First Electronic Computer: The Atanasoff Story, describe the design and construction of the ABC and provide a more technical perspective. Numerous articles provide additional information. In recognition of his achievement, Atanasoff was awarded the National Medal of Technology by President George Bush at the White house on November 13, 1990.

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