History of GT Computing

Klaus Advanced Computing Building

A Generation in the Making

Computer and computing education at Georgia Tech dates back more than a generation, to 1964 and the establishment of the Information Science program and a master's degree program in Information Science—the first graduate degree of its kind in the country.

By 1970, the program had grown in size and prestige enough to become a school in its own right, the School of Information and Computer Science (ICS), and began awarding doctorates in ICS and bachelor's degrees in information science.

Computing scored another first in 1990 when Georgia Tech became the first public university in the nation to raise the discipline to college status.

Since then, the College of Computing has maintained a leadership role by expanding its academic programs and initiatives, developing new facilities, and supporting research in an increasing array of computing and computing-related areas. In 2007, the College elevated two divisions to become the School of Computer Science and the School of Interactive Computing.

View the College of Computing History Artifacts

Dive Deep into GT Computing’s History

Prepared By Peter A. Freeman

"College of Computing: Timeline of Significant Events 1945-2015" July 27, 2015, 36 pp.
“A Brief History of the College of Computing 1964-2015,” October 19, 2015 8 pp.
"Origins of the College of Computing 1945-1990" July 27, 2015, 19 pp.
"Building a College of Computing 1990-2002," December 4, 2015 19 pp.
2015 Thomas E. Noonan Distinguished Lecture: “Surprises in CoC History: Who Was Responsible for Starting Computing at Georgia Tech?” Peter Freeman

Data Tables

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Academic Years 1954-1965

The Beginning

AY1954-55

Alton P. “Pete” Jensen comes to Georgia Tech (GT) in 1954 as a research engineer. He is one of the original staff members in the recently created Computer Center.

AY1955-56

The Rich Computer Center is dedicated and installs a Univac 1101. Guests include Atlanta Mayor William B. Hartsfield and computer pioneer Howard Aiken.

AY1958-59

Dorothy Crosland, director of libraries, realizes the emerging field of Information Science (IS) is important to Georgia Tech and sets out to make the Institute a leader in it.

AY1964-65

Vladimir Slamecka is named the first director of the School of Information Science (IS). The School receives $200,000 support from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Joanne Butterworth becomes Tech’s first graduate in any computing discipline and receives an M.S. degree in information science.

Academic Years 1966-1979

Laying Foundations of Breadth

AY1964-65

The catalog description shows Slamecka’s use of the broad, prescient vision of Vannevar Bush, former head of the U.S. Office of Scientific Research and Development, to structure the curriculum: Information Science is the field of academic study and professional practice concerned with the investigation of the properties, structure, and functions of information, and with all aspects of its control and use in society.

Georgia Tech receives $1.3 million from the National Science Foundation for computer labs and an IS Research Center, one of the first two NSF grants to develop “research centers of excellence.” Pete Jensen sets up and operates the labs.

AY1969-70

Fourteen undergraduate courses are first offered in Fall 1966. A Ph.D. program is officially added.

AY1970-71

IS is renamed the School of Information and Computer Science (ICS).

Georgia Tech’s first Ph.D. in IS is awarded to Jesse Hubbard Poore—and the final two (given the school’s name change) are awarded to John Marion Hoffman and Robert Martin Siegmann later that year.

AY1971-72

Georgia Tech’s first Ph.D. in ICS is awarded to Robert Charles Roehrkasse, and the second is awarded to Richard A. DeMillo later in the year.

AY1973-74

The School of ICS begins an undergraduate degree program in ICS. A joint graduate program in biomedical information and computer science also begins, developed with Emory’s School of Medicine. This collaboration was unique for its time, and presaged future cooperation between the two institutions.

Margaret Shippen Strode is awarded Georgia Tech’s first B.S. in ICS in March 1974.

AY1977-78

Vladimir Slamecka steps down as director of ICS in 1978 and returns to the faculty.

Academic Years 1980-1987

Building Depth in Computer Science

AY1980-81

Ray Miller becomes the new ICS director in August 1980. He is asked by the Georgia Tech administration to create a strong computer science program.

AY1981-82

A rapid increase in undergraduate students wanting to major in computer science leads to an aggressive faculty recruitment effort.

The National Research Council deems ICS the “most rapidly improving” CS program in the country.

AY1984-85

The Software Engineering Research Center (SERC) is established and directed by Rich DeMillo. It later becomes the Center for Information Management and Research, an NSF Industry-University Research Center.

AY1986-87

A cognitive science program is started under the leadership of faculty member Janet Kolodner.

Ray Miller steps down as director of ICS and returns to the faculty.

A survey by the Conference Board of Associated Research Councils names ICS as “most improved” among the 57 CS departments examined.

Academic Years 1987-1989

Birthing a College of Computing

AY1987-88

Pete Jensen suspends his retirement and is appointed acting director of ICS. John Patrick Crecine, provost of Carnegie Mellon University, is confirmed as the ninth president of Georgia Tech in Fall 1997. He presents his vision for the Institute becoming a “technological university for the 21st Century” in his inauguration speech and later proposes a “Framework for Restructuring,” which begins a significant reorganization of Georgia Tech’s academic units.

AY1988-89

As part of the reorganization, a Computer Committee, chaired by Pete Jensen and co-chaired by Jim Craig (AE), is charged with “suggest[ing] a reorganization that would give ourselves and the world a clear idea of the importance of computing in the academic and research life of Georgia Tech.” They submit their report in February.

AY1989-90

A Transition Committee, chaired by Rich LeBlanc and Jim Craig, begin work on detailed plans for a College of Computing. A national search for a founding dean begins.

Academic Years 1990-2002

Building a College of Computing

AY1990-91

The College officially comes into existence. Peter A. Freeman is appointed professor and dean. Pete Jensen is named associate dean. Freeman presents “A Vision for the College,” based on a retreat and extensive discussions with the faculty.

The new College holds its Inaugural Convocation to publicize broadly the vision and focus on leadership in computing. Prominent speakers include Georgia Tech President John Patrick Crecine, Professor Raj Reddy of Carnegie Mellon, Professor Michael Dertouzas of MIT, and Dr. Robert Lucky of AT&T Bell Labs.

AY1991-92

Rich LeBlanc is named associate dean after the retirement of Pete Jensen.

AY1992-93

New versions of introductory courses (CS 1501-1502) are offered and the use of undergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs) is expanded.

The Graphics, Visualization, and Usability (GVU) Center is officially opened under the direction of Jim Foley. An Opening Convocation features talks by Andy van Dam, Don Greenberg, Stu Card, and James Blinn.

The EduTech Institute is founded with $2.7M from the Woodruff Foundation to be “one of the top five places in the world that develops and implements innovative and effective applications of technology to education.” Janet Kolodner is named director.

The John P. Imlay Jr. Dean’s Chair, the first dean’s chair on campus, is established with funds donated by Atlanta technology entrepreneur John Imlay.

AY1993-94

Graduate students Rob Kooper and Jim Pitkow start GVU’s pioneering WWW User Survey, and results are published later in the year.

AY1994-95

CS undergraduate John Selbie develops Cyber Radio 1 software used by campus radio station WREK (and eventually many others) to begin broadcasting on the Internet. The software is still in use today.

AY1995-96

US News & World Report ranks Georgia Tech #1 for graduate programs in graphics and human interaction, beating out Brown, Carnegie Mellon, University of North Carolina, and MIT.

The Georgia Center for Advanced Telecommunication (GCATT) opens on 14th Street. CoC is allocated office space in the building for the networking group.

AY1996-97

Georgia Tech hosts the 1996 summer Olympics. Several CoC faculty and students are involved as volunteers.

CoC creates its own Career Fair in order to help potential employers and CoC students connect, another CoC first on campus. The fair continues to the present (2015) and is now held twice each year.

AY1997-98

Introductory course (1501-1502) enrollment exceeds 2,000. It is the only course required of all Georgia Tech students in the new core curriculum.

CoC begins offering an M.S. in Human Computer Interaction.

A large area in the College of Computing Building is created to enable and enhance student group meetings and interactions. It proves highly attractive to students and remains in use today.

Intel funds an IHPCL laboratory with $3.7M, the first campus-wide effort in high performance computing at GT.

Dean Peter Freeman chairs the Sam Nunn Nations Bank Policy Forum on Information Security; several College members are key in planning the event.

At the Sam Nunn Forum, Georgia Tech President Wayne Clough announces the creation of the Georgia Tech Information Security Center (GTISC), one of the first such centers in the country.

AY1999-00

CoC establishes a study abroad program at the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain.

AY2000-01

Richard Lipton is named the first holder of the Frederick G. Storey Chair in Computing that was endowed in 1997.

The College of Computing is ranked 13th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

The Stephen R. Fleming GRE Chair in Telecommunications is established, with Jim Foley as the first holder of the chair.

Former Georgia Tech student Christopher Klaus, 26-year-old founder and CTO of Internet Security Systems (ISS), gives $15 million for the construction of the Advanced Computing Technology (ACT) Building, later dedicated as the Klaus Advanced Computing Building. The gift is the largest cash donation in Georgia Tech history up to that point.

The College holds its 10th Anniversary Celebration, with former U.S. attorney general Janet Reno delivering inaugural Thomas E. Noonan Lecture on Information Security. A convocation, “Computing the Next Ten Years,” features talks by Raj Reddy (CMU), William Malik (Gartner Group), and Craig Mundie (ICS alum and Microsoft).

AY2001-02

The Georgia Tech Center for Experimental Research in Computer Systems (CERCS), directed by Karsten Schwan and Sudha Yalamanchili (ECE) is established.

Peter Freeman steps down as dean in May 2002, returns to the faculty, and takes leave to assume the position of assistant director of NSF for Computer & Information Science & Engineering (CISE).

Ellen Zegura is named interim dean.

Academic Years 2003-2008

Strategically Expanding the College of Computing

AY2002-03

Michael Edward Torrey receives Georgia Tech’s first M.S. in Information Security in August 2002.

Richard A. DeMillo is named dean of the College of Computing.

AY2003-04

The College announces a new administrative structure, and the faculty is reorganized into the Core Computing Division, headed by Kishore Ramachandran, and the Interactive Computing Division, headed byAaron Bobick.

The GVU Center moves into the Technology Square Research Building (TSRB) in Midtown Atlanta’s revitalized Technology Square. GVU hosts a convocation celebrating 10 years of research at the intersection of people and technology. Don Norman and Peter Cochrane give distinguished lectures.

AY2004-05

The College, in collaboration with Georgia Tech’s School of Literature, Communication, and Culture, introduces the new B.S. in Computational Media.

Alton P. “Pete” Jensen, early faculty member, interim chair of ICS, associate dean of CoC, and emeritus professor, passes away at age 79.

AY2005-06

Ellen Zegura is appointed chair of the Division of Core Computing, which is renamed Computing Science and Systems (CSS).

KUKA Roboter GmbH establishes the KUKA Chair in Robotics, and Henrik Christensen is hired as the first holder of the chair.

The Robotics and Intelligent Machines (RIM) Center, organized by the colleges of Computing and Engineering, is announced with Henrik Christensen as director.

Vladimir Slamecka, founding director in 1964 of the School of Information Science (later ICS), passes away at age 79.

AY2006-07

The College of Computing introduces Threads™, a groundbreaking curriculum in which students choose one of eight distinct, logical curricular perspectives and gain an integrated, collaborative, and interdisciplinary education.

Santosh Vampala founds the Algorithms & Randomness Center and ThinkTank (ARC).

The Georgia Computes! Project begins, led by Mark Guzdial and Barbara Ericson; it is a statewide program aimed at expanding the pipeline of CS students and teachers at all levels in Georgia.

The new, 412,000-square-foot Christopher W. Klaus Advanced Computing Building officially opens.

The School of Computer Science and the School of Interactive Computing begin operation within the College, replacing the previous Divisions of the same name. Ellen Zegura chairs the School of CS, andAaron Bobick chairs the School of IC.

AY2007-08

The College creates the new Division of Computational Science and Engineering (CSE), led by Richard Fujimoto.

With funding from the South Korean government, the College launches a new dual M.S. program in embedded software in Korea.

The Board of Regents approves CoC’s first online program, the M.S. in Computational Science and Engineering.

Former Georgia Tech President John Patrick Crecine, responsible for the reorganization that created the College, passes away after a prolonged fight with cancer.

The College’s first three Ph.D.s in Human-Centered Computing are awarded to Jason Day, Steven Dow, and Amy Voida.

The College rises to No. 9 in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of graduate CS programs.

Dean Rich DeMillo announces his resignation as dean and intention to return to the faculty.

AY2008-09

Jim Foley is named interim dean.

The colleges of Computing and Engineering at Georgia Tech create an interdisciplinary doctoral degree in robotics.

Academic Years 2009-2014+

Moving Forward From a Strong Foundation

AY2008-09

CoC launches the Computing for Good (C4G) program, combining technology and activism to address social, political, environmental, and health problems around the world.

Henrik Christensen leads development of the National Robotics Roadmap as chair of a national committee. President Obama announces the National Robotics Initiative, based on the Roadmap, and mentions Georgia Tech’s leadership in his speech.

AY2009-10

The College receives a $2.5 million grant from NSF for Operation Reboot, with the goal of transforming laid-off IT workers in Georgia into high school computing teachers.

Georgia Tech is announced as the lead institution for a $12 million NSF award to lead the Keeneland Project to develop and deploy an innovative and experimental high-performance computing (HPC) platform.

The College creates the School of Computational Science and Engineering from the former Division of CSE. Richard Fujimoto remains as chair of CoC’s third school.

AY2010-11

Zvi Galil becomes the third dean of the College of Computing.

Georgia Tech creates the Institute for Data & High Performance Computing, led by Richard Fujimoto as interim director.

Georgia Tech creates the Center for 21st Century Universities, directed by former dean Rich DeMillo and based in CoC. It will work to make GT a leader in studying how disruptive technology can revolutionize higher education.

Georgia Tech creates the Institute for People and Technology (IPaT) as one of its first “interdisciplinary research institutes.” CoC Professor Beth Mynatt is named IPaT’s first executive director.

AY2012-13

Lance Fortnow of Northwestern University and Annie Antón, a three-time CoC graduate and faculty member at NC State, become the new chairs of the schools of Computer Science and Interactive Computing, respectively.

CoC announces the online Master of Science in Computer Science (OMSCS), to be offered in collaboration with Udacity and AT&T, the world’s first graduate degree program from an accredited university based completely on the massive-online model of course delivery. OMS CS will be indistinguishable from the on-campus MS CS, at a highly discounted price. This is a pioneering step for a highly ranked university and garners tremendous press in the worldwide media.

AY2013-14

College Advisory Board member Alan Warren and his wife establish the Charlotte B. and Roger C. Warren Chair of Computing. Rich DeMillo is the first holder of the chair.

The RIM Center becomes Georgia Tech’s ninth interdisciplinary research institute and is renamed the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines (IRIM). Henrik Christensen remains as IRIM’s executive director.

The OMS CS program begins academic operations in January 2014 with an initial cohort of 381 students and five available courses.

The College again holds the No. 9 spot in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of graduate CS programs.

AY2014-15

David Bader is named the second chair of the School of Computational Science and Engineering.

Georgia Institute of Technology College of Computing

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