I just read the New York Times piece on McCarthy, which strikes me as unfair to the point that I feel a need to share with our group.

Though in my work I mostly deal with the international scientific persona of McCarthy, namely Algol and his Soviet connections, even the American part of the story, or to quote "the arc of modern computing" seems to be totally misrepresented as a teleological drive toward the California born pc.

A larger question to ask: where is the place for a [good] computer history in public sphere?

ksenia

De : "Ceruzzi, Paul" <CeruzziP@si.edu>
À : "members@sigcis.org" <members@sigcis.org>
Envoyé le : Lundi 24 Octobre 2011 18h11
Objet : [SIGCIS-Members] John McCarthy

Just got word, unconfirmed, that John McCarthy passed away today. The news is appearing in several places on the Internet.

Lots of passing and transitions this fall.

Paul E. Ceruzzi
Chair, Division of Space History
National Air & Space Museum
MRC 311; PO Box 37012
Washington, DC 20013-7012
202-633-2414
<http://www.nasm.si.edu/staffDetail.cfm?staffID=24>

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