Butler W. Lampson | Distinguished Engineer, Turing Award, Operating Systems

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They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Butler-W-Lampson/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="qf-title font-weight-bold font-14 mb-10 text-center"> Quick Facts</div> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Born: </dt> <dd>1943, Washington, <a href="/place/Washington-DC">D.C.</a> (age 81)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Awards And Honors: </dt> <dd><a href="/topic/Turing-Award">Turing Award (1992)</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Subjects Of Study: </dt> <dd><a href="/technology/operating-system">operating system</a></dd> <dd><a href="/technology/workstation">workstation</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/Butler-W-Lampson"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref1033695"></span>Butler W. Lampson</strong> (born 1943, Washington, D.C.) is a computer scientist and winner of the 1992 <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Turing-Award" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">A.M. Turing Award</a>, the highest honour in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/computer-science" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">computer science</a>, for “contributions to the development of distributed, personal computing <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="environments" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/environments" data-type="MW">environments</a> and the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/technology" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">technology</a> for their implementation: <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/workstation" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">workstations</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/computer-network" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">networks</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/operating-system" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">operating systems</a>, programming systems, displays, security and document publishing.”</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Lampson received a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/bachelors-degree" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">bachelor’s degree</a> (1964) in physics from <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Harvard-University" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Harvard University</a> and a doctorate (1967) in electrical engineering and computer science from the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/University-of-California" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">University of California</a>, Berkeley. After finishing his studies, Lampson joined the faculty at Berkeley (1967–71) and was the director of systems development at the Berkeley Computer Corporation (1969–71). Lampson moved on to research positions at the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/Xerox-Corporation" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Xerox Corporation</a>’s Palo Alto Research Center (<a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/PARC-company" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">PARC</a>; 1971–83), where he assisted in the development of Alto (the first <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/personal-computer" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">personal computer</a>) and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/Ethernet" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Ethernet</a>; the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/Digital-Equipment-Corporation" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Digital Equipment Corporation</a> (1984–95); and the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/Microsoft-Corporation" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Microsoft Corporation</a> (1995– ). Lampson holds all or part of several dozen computer science <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="patents" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/patents" data-type="EB">patents</a>.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Lampson was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (1984), the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/American-Academy-of-Arts-and-Sciences" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">American Academy of Arts and Sciences</a> (1993), the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM; 1994), and the U.S. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Academy-of-Sciences-American-organization" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">National Academy of Sciences</a> (2005). In addition to the Turing Award, Lampson received an ACM Software System Award (1984), an <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Institute-of-Electrical-and-Electronics-Engineers" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">IEEE</a> Computer Pioneer Award (1996), a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Institute-of-Standards-and-Technology" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">National Institute of Standards and Technology</a>/<a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Security-Agency" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">National Security Agency</a> National Computer Systems Security Award (1998), an IEEE von Neumann Medal (2001), and a U.S. National Academy of Engineering Charles Stark Draper Prize (2004).</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-quiz-module" href="/quiz/computers-and-technology" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/63/166063-131-0E023062/computer-chip-processing-unit-history-society-science.jpg" alt="computer chip. computer. 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Butler W. Lampson | Distinguished Engineer, Turing Award, Operating Systems | Britannica