The MIT Laboratory for Computer Science (which began life as MIT Project MAC) had a 25th anniversary celebration in Cambridge, Mass in October, 1988. These are my notes.
Party at Mullens'
Bob and Alice Mullen had a party before the event, attended by Melanie & Jim Weaver, André Bensoussan, Ron Webber & wife, Jerry & Ellie Stern, Bernie Greenberg, John Gintell & Robert Coren, Rich Kovalcik & wife, and Ed & Maggie Sharpe. We drank the traditional stone fences and raised the Multicians' Toast: "to absent friends."
MAC Symposium
The MAC symposium had 2 receptions, 2 days of talks in Kresge Auditorium with lunch in the student center, and a sit-down dinner for 1000 at the Statler, by then called the Park Plaza. At the dinner, Mike Dertouzos gave awards to the real pioneers, like John McCarthy, Corby, Lick, Minsky, Doug Ross and John Ward. John Updike gave a speech (2 cultures stuff).
The talks in Kresge were mostly by junior faculty about what they were working on. Many talks spent 75% of their time defining terms and 25% on current activities. Best talk: Silvio Micali on zero-knowledge protocols.
The celebration was such a success that LCS had a 35th Anniversary Celebration 11 years later.
People
Seeing old friends was the best part.
MAC/MIT:
- Bob Fano
- Lick
- Dick Mills
- Dotty Scanlan
- Pat McSweeney
- Jessica Hellwig
- Al Kraning
- Joel Winett
- Al Vezza
- Marvin Minsky
- Carl Hewitt
- Joel Moses
- Joe Weizenbaum
- Doug Ross
- Betty Lou Cullen (McLean)
- Jorge Rodriguez
- Jacob Katzenelson
- John Ward
- Frank Reintjes
- Betty Campbell
- Marge Daggett
- Aaron Fleisher
- John Klensin
- Stu Madnick
- Peter Bishop
- Keith Uncapher
- Steve Garland
- Nancy Leveson
- Bob Rosin
- Gordon Bell
Multics
- Corby
- Bob Graham
- Stan Dunten
- Bob Frankston
- Dan Bricklin
- Mike Padlipsky
- Hank Magnuski
- Peter Neumann
- Carla Marceau
- Tom Casey
- Tom Skinner
- Dave Reed
- Bob Mabee
- Jerry Grochow
- Brian Kernighan
- Steve Lipner
- Doug McIlroy
- Barry & Elaine Wolman
- Paul Green
- Nate Adelman
- Bob Chevalier
- Dennis Capps
- Rick Gumpertz
- Dave Clark
- Richard Gardner
- Andy Huber
- Lee Scheffler
In addition, Bob Mullen and I ran into Gene Wiatrowski in the Coop.
Changes
Kendall Square was unrecognizable. It looked like downtown Chicago. The F&T was gone, replaced by a subway entrance & a vacant lot. The whole east side of campus was all different; I got lost. MIT had taken over a bunch of buildings & built new ones where the Carr Fastener Co used to be. Building 39 had become a VLSI center. And Multics was shut down.
I was prepared for Harvard Square to be all different too, but the changes were less dramatic. Downtown Boston, also some changes but wasn't totally different. A new hotel & shopping complex, some demolition, etc. But Durgin-Park was still there & some of the same waitresses who served me 27 years ago.
