"The amount of common knowledge which has to exist to use stored-program data-processing machines is so great that I feel we need a single system which makes a single community of all our customers. If all our customers today were able to interchange program information, the progress in programming would be even more rapid than it is, and our contributions to programming could be much more significant and more widely useful. ~' Dad's last ten years with IBM were spent serving as head of The Systems Research Institute--a graduate-level school within IBM which T. J. Watson had asked him to create--and as a member of The National Security Agency's Scierttific Advisory Board. Even in his final years with IBM, he continued to promote his favorite computer language, APL. In his retirement, Dad worked nearly every day with APL for many years. Just yesterday, I found his notes in APL, exploring succinct ways to find endless prime numbers. His most cherished award? Without a doubt, The Kenneth E. Iverson Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Development and Application of APL. I understand that such a recounting as this is unusual in a church setting, but this is the world that Dad lived in, and perhaps it explains why he couldn't talk about what he did, even at home, Dad was as sharp as atack to the end. His eyes twinkled more with each passing year, even as his hearing and energy waned. He visited both Betsy and me for separate weeks this past summer, but seemed to realize that both trips would notbe repeated. I'd like to close by acknowledging a great debt of gratitude to Genny Pierson. After Mother died in 1991, Genny took over and ran Dad's house just as Mother had. Her efforts gave Dad long life with time and peace ofmind to devote his efforts to his many worthwhile projects. And so it was that Dad died in his sleep, with a serene smile over his face .... It was indeed a charmed and full life! • We extend our thanks to Bruce McPl~ersonfor providing us with this text regarding his Dad. He can be reached through the Quote Quad Editors . . . . We will greatly miss ~ohn McPherson. He was indeed a gent~nan. People In the News: Alex Morrow Named as IBM Fellow JAPLES, FORIDA,JUNE 10, 1999 -- IBM announced that seven of its top scientists, researchers and developers have been named IBM Fellow, the company's most prestigious technical honor. One of the new IBM Fellows may be known to many APLers: He is Alex Morrow, currently with IBM's Lotus Internet Applications Division. Earfier in his IBM career, Alex had been a member of the APL Design Group under Ken Iverson (a former IBM Fellow) and Adin Falkoff. He became well known to many APLers for his development work on APLSV. First at IBM and later at Lotus, where he was named a Lotus Fellow, Morrow made significant contributions in fields ranging from programming languages and operating systems to software standards and personal computer software. His early achievements included his involvement in the establishment of an international standard for the APL language and the ACIS 4.2 operaring system for IBM's first workstations. When the Open Software Foundation was created to produce a standard Unix operaring system, Morrow became IBM's founding executive for this effort. More recently, he was a driving force behind the integration and unification of Lotus' product line and now is active in developing the next generation of "pervasive computing" technologies. The new Fellows were recognized by IBM Chairman Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., at the company's annual Corporate Technical Recognition Event, held in Naples, Florida, on June 9th, 1999. "With these honors, IBM celebrates sustained and distinguished technical achievements in engineering, programming and technology," said Nicholas Donofrio, senior vice president, technology and manufacturing. "This year's honorees reflect the spirit oftechnologicalinnovation that drives IBM's research and development programs, and equally important, our ability to translate breakthrough technologies into products, services and solutions that dramatically impact the marketplace." This year's new Fellows include some of the information technology industry's leading experts in storage, data management, microelectronics and high-end server technology. In addition, for the first time, three IBM Fellows were named from Lotus Development Corporation, an IBM subsidiary. Since the program's h u n c h in 1963, only 155 people have been appointed IBM Fellows, including five Nobel laureates. Only 52 active employees currendy hold the honor. • N POLIVKA ASSOCI~ APL Education and Cons~ APL classes taught by Alex Morrow can be reached at "alex_morrow@Lotus.corn': Raymond P. Polivk~ Tel: 914-462-2698 Fax: 914-463-2421 E-mail: Pofivka@ACM.org APL Quote Quaa

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