John V. Atanasoff
In 1939, an Iowa State alumus and professor named John Vincent Atanasoff began work on a revolutionary machine. Frustrated by the time it took to solve algebraic equations, Atanasoff created a machine the size of a small desk, using 300 vacuum tubes, rotating drums, and cards. It would be 58 years before the world fully credited the Iowa State professor with inventing the first digital electronic computer. Today, you can see a working replica of the computer (the only one in the world!) in the lobby of the Durham Center.
See an exhibit on his life: John V. Atanasoff
This site is co-sponsored by the ISU Alumni Association and the University Archives, ISU Library.
