Computing Atlas

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Pioneer

Charles Geschke

Also Known As Charles M. Geschke · Chuck Geschke · Charles Matthew Geschke · Chuck
Computing Methodologies

Charles M. Geschke (September 11, 1939 - April 16, 2021) was an American computer scientist who co-founded Adobe Inc. in 1982 with John Warnock, after the two had worked together at Xerox PARC developing the Interpress page description language. At Adobe, Geschke helped create PostScript, which transformed desktop publishing, and later the PDF document format, and he served as the company's president from 1989 to 2000 and co-chairman of its board from 1997 to 2017. He received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 2008 and shared the Marconi Prize with Warnock in 2010.

Facts
Birth Year
1939 1
Birth Date
1939-09-11 1
Death Year
2021 1
Death Date
2021-04-16 1
Award
ACM Fellow 1
Award
Computer History Museum Fellow 1
Award
Marconi Prize 1
Award
National Medal of Technology and Innovation 1
Award
ACM Software System Award 1
FAQs

Why did Charles Geschke leave Xerox PARC to found Adobe?

Xerox decided not to commercialize Interpress, so Geschke and Warnock left to cofound Adobe.

Geschke and John Warnock had developed a page description language called Interpress at Xerox PARC, where Geschke had formed the Imaging Sciences Laboratory in 1978. When Xerox decided not to commercialize the invention, the two men left PARC and cofounded Adobe Systems. Interpress then evolved into Adobe's PostScript.
Connections

Invented

PostScript, Programming Languages
Source PostScript (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Nationality

United States

Also in Geography Atlas: the nationality of this subject.

Sources
1. Wikidata: Charles Geschke
Wikidata Q2959209, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
Wikipedia: Charles Geschke
Lead section
Quote, Lead section
Charles Matthew "Chuck" Geschke (September 11, 1939 - April 16, 2021) was an American businessman and computer scientist best known for founding the graphics and publishing software company Adobe Inc. with John Warnock in 1982, with whom he also co-created the PDF document format.
View the Source
PostScript (Wikipedia)
Invented: PostScript, Lead sentence, creators
Quote, Invented: PostScript, Lead sentence, creators
PostScript was created at Adobe Systems by John Warnock, Charles Geschke, Doug Brotz, Ed Taft and Bill Paxton from 1982 to 1984.
View the Source
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