Thomas Kurtz was an American mathematician who, with John Kemeny, invented the BASIC programming language at Dartmouth College in 1964, alongside the Dartmouth Time-Sharing System. From 1963 to 1964, Kurtz and Kemeny led a team of students in developing both systems; the first BASIC program ran on May 1, 1964, at 4 a.m. Kurtz directed Dartmouth's Kiewit Computation Center from 1966 to 1975 and co-founded True BASIC, Inc. in 1983 to continue developing the language commercially.
Facts
Cross-Tradition Connections
Invented
Co-invented with John Kemeny.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Thomas E. Kurtz
Wikimedia FoundationCareer sectionQuote, Career section
In 1956, he was recruited to Dartmouth College by John G. Kemeny and joined the Mathematics Department, where he taught statistics and numerical analysis. From 1963 to 1964, Kurtz and Kemeny, working with a team of students, led the development of the Dartmouth Time-Sharing System (DTSS) and the BASIC programming language.
1. Wikipedia: Thomas E. Kurtz
Wikimedia FoundationIntroductionQuote, Introduction
Thomas Eugene Kurtz (February 22, 1928 - November 12, 2024) was an American computer scientist and educator. A Dartmouth professor of mathematics, he and colleague John G. Kemeny are best known for co-developing the BASIC programming language and the Dartmouth Time-Sharing System in 1963 and 1964.
2. Dartmouth: Remembering Computing Legend Thomas Kurtz
Dartmouth College, Faculty of Arts and SciencesDate of deathQuote, Date of death
Thomas Kurtz, a professor emeritus of computer science and mathematics who played a key role in the computing revolution, died on Nov. 12 at the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative and Hospice Care in Lebanon, N.H. He was 96.
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.