[SIGCIS-Members] Leo Beranek, RIP

[Dave Walden]

See:
http://www.wcvb.com/news/leo-beranek-founder-of-wcvb-dies-at-102/42082378

Leo was not himself a computer person.  He was instrumental, however, in 
creating the environment at Bolt Beranek and Newman in which much 
computing innovation happened.  In particular, he had the foresight to 
bring Licklider to BBN [from MIT, Whirlwind, etc.] because he understood 
that his own field of acoustics did not have the growth potential of 
computers and computing (this moved Lick fully into computers from 
psycho acoustics and was a step along the way the the vision he began to 
implement at ARPA IPTO).

Leo was interviewed twice for the IEEE History Center oral history 
collection:
      http://ethw.org/Oral-History:Leo_Beranek_(1996) (oral history 
taken by Janet Abbate)
      http://ethw.org/Oral-History:Leo_Beranek_(2005) (oral history 
taken by Mike Geselowitz)
He also authored the lead article in the two BBN special issues of the 
IEEE Annals of the History of Computing (Vol. 27, No. 2, April–June 2005)
As Leo's primary technical contributions were in the field of acoustics, 
an issue of _Acoustics Today_ was dedicated to articles related to his 
work on the occasion of his 100th birthday.

Leo was a great scientist, entrepreneur and contributor to the public good:
      http://www.walden-family.com/bbn/leo-the-visionary.pdf




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