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Edward Fredkin papers

 Collection
Identifier: MC-0373

  • Staff Only
  • No requestable containers

Dates

  • Creation: 1970s

Creator

Access note

Materials in this collection are open unless they are marked as restricted. Restrictions are noted in the container list.

Conditions Governing Use

Access to collections in the Department of Distinctive Collections is not authorization to publish. Please see the MIT Libraries Permissions Policy for permission information. Copyright of some items in this collection may be held by respective creators, not by the donor of the collection or MIT.

Biography

Edward Fredkin began his career at MIT in 1956, when the Air Force assigned him to work at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory. He left soon after to work for Boston consulting firm Bolt, Beranek, and Newman, and in 1961 founded Information International Incorporated (Triple-I). In 1968 Fredkin returned to MIT as a full professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering (renamed the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in 1975). He continued as a professor in EECS until 1985. From 1971 to 1974, Fredkin served as director of Project MAC, which, during the time of his directorship, focused on the development and improvement of a computer time-sharing system. Project MAC became the Laboratory for Computer Science in 1976, and in 2003 it merged with the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory to become the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL).

Fredkin has led an active career outside of academia, serving as an IT consultant to large companies such as IBM, Digital, and Motorola. He has also been on the board of directors, served as CEO, and founded more than a dozen companies.

Extent

4 Cubic Feet (4 record cartons)

Language of Materials

English

Location

Materials are stored off-site. Advance notice is required for use.

Related Materials in the Institute Archives

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Records (AC 547)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Laboratory for Computer Science Research Records (AC 282).

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Laboratory for Computer Science Records (AC 268).

Fernando Corbató Papers (MC 371).

Michael L. Dertouzos Papers (MC 372).

Robert M. Fano Papers (MC 413).

Carl Hewitt Papers (MC 376).

J. C. R. Licklider Papers (MC 499).

William A. Martin Papers (MC 437).

Joel Moses Papers (MC 378).

Jerome H. Saltzer Papers (MC 379).

Albert Vezza Papers (MC 381).

Processing Information note

Some collection descriptions are based on legacy data and may be incomplete or contain inaccuracies. Description may change pending verification. Please contact the MIT Department of Distinctive Collections if you notice any errors or discrepancies.

Title
Preliminary Inventory to the Papers of Edward Fredkin
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Revision Statements

  • 2023 March 20: Revised by processing archivist Chris Tanguay in March 2023 to update access notes and enhance description.

Repository Details

Part of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Libraries. Department of Distinctive Collections Repository

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