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Conference 7.286::digital

Title:	The Digital way of working

Moderator:	QUARK::LIONELON

Created:	Fri Feb 14 1986
Last Modified:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	5321
Total number of notes:	139771

2692.0. "Ken Olsen receives National Medal of Technology" by MILPND::CLARK_D () Thu Sep 30 1993 16:47

Worldwide News                                              
Extracted from LIVE WIRE
Sept. 30


         Digital founder Ken Olsen receives National Medal of Technology

          Digital founder Ken Olsen today received the National Medal of
   Technology, America's highest technology award.

          President Bill Clinton presented Ken with the award in a ceremony
   in the White House Rose Garden.

          Ken was honored for his contributions to the development and use
   of computer technology and for his "entrepreneurial contribution to
   American business."

          "This is one of the most significant awards a technologist could
   receive, and in many ways I feel undeserving," he said.  "Yet I am very
   pleased to see the degree of interest that this award signifies shown in
   the profession I love.  I hope it encourages others to pursue a career
   based on the openness, the discipline and the inquisitiveness of the
   scientist that I find so exciting, so rewarding, and so much fun."
 
         Ken was one of eight people to receive the 1993 National Medal of
   Technology, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce's
   Technology Administration.  The award has been presented annually since
   1985 and reflects contributions to the economy, environment or social
   well-being of the United States.

          The medal was designed by Mico Kaufman, a Massachusetts artist.
   On the right side of the medal is the face of a man with his hand
   outstretched.  A diffuse ray of light strikes the hand and is reflected
   as a denser, more concentrated beam.  Kaufman explained that the diffuse
   light represents the input of data and knowledge, and the dense beam
   transformed by the technologist is the result.

          Along with Harlan Anderson, Ken founded Digital in 1957 in the
   Mill in Maynard.  The company's vision of interactive computing helped
   it grow rapidly into a $14 billion corporation with operations in 100
   countries worldwide.

          This is the third time that someone connected with Digital has
   been honored with the National Medal of Technology.  In 1991, the late
   Dr. Grace Murray Hopper, a Digital senior consultant, received the award
   for her pioneering accomplishments in the development of computer
   programming languages that simplified computer technology.  In 1989,
   Digital board member Robert R. Everett was honored along with Jay W.
   Forrester of MIT for "creative work in developing technologies and
   applying computers to real-time applications."

   --------
   The National Medal of Technology is a federally registered trademark and
   a service mark of the United States Department of Commerce.

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
2692.1	Bravo, Ken; outstandingly well-merited. We should all be proud.	DRDAN::KALIKOW	Technology hunter\gatherer	`Thu Sep 30 1993 19:08`	4
	Who else, but the Ultimate Entrepreneur? A fitting new encomium to a Great and Good man.
2692.2	Oh, Well... Can't have Everything!	MSDOA::JENNINGS	Fight poverty. Beat up a tramp!	`Thu Sep 30 1993 20:17`	4
	Re: -.1 < A fitting new encomium to a Great and Good man. Indeed - and then some. Too bad it couldn't have been awarded by a Great and Good President! :-]
2692.3	Braveaux!	ODIXIE::SILVERS	dig-it-all, we rent backhoes.	`Thu Sep 30 1993 22:04`	2
	Braveaux, K.O.! I've thoroughly enjoyed my 11 years and hope for many more... Ds.
2692.4		TNKVS3::DBROWN	With magic, you have some control	`Fri Oct 01 1993 08:17`	5
	re: .2 We'd have to go back before 1980, wouldn't we ?
2692.5	Carter was good??	MUDHWK::LAWLER	Stress, Silicon and Software	`Fri Oct 01 1993 09:07`	8
	Re -.1 YOu'd have to back further than that. Wasn't jimmy carter president in the term prior to 1980?
2692.6	One of My Hero's	JUPITR::HILDEBRANT	I'm the NRA	`Fri Oct 01 1993 09:45`	4
	I sure am glad to have the memories of working here at DEC in the mill, when it was common place to see and talk with Ken. Marc H.
2692.7	Yes, a great man he IS!	JGO::KWIKKEL	The dance music library 1969-20..	`Fri Oct 01 1993 10:15`	14
	Re's: I never have have met Ken(I'm to insignificant I gues) but his spirit of honesty and candour was felt even in The Netherlands. --- --- Thesedays I only keep spinning up these lines through my mind. They are from the book "Developing critical thinkers" from Stephen D Brookfield. I dare not to type them...... Jan.
2692.8	Short Memory ?	TNKVS3::DBROWN	With magic, you have some control	`Fri Oct 01 1993 10:40`	5
	re: .5 Considering who came after him and the mess we're in today, yes...
2692.9	Suggestion...	DRDAN::KALIKOW	Technology hunter\gatherer	`Fri Oct 01 1993 10:47`	8
	... imho it would be more fitting to discuss KO than US politics in this string. Yeah, I know this is Notes :-) but when such an honor is bestowed on KO, a sense of decorum and gratitude move at least ME to respectfully request that we keep to the subject. Today's Boston GLOBE had a full-color picture (ABOVE the fold, FIRST PAGE of the Business section!) of President Clinton shaking KO's hand.
2692.10		CXDOCS::COCKERHAM		`Fri Oct 01 1993 17:27`	8
	RE: MSDOA::JENNINGS "Fight poverty. Beat up a tramp!" >>> > Indeed - and then some. Too bad it couldn't have been awarded > by a Great and Good President! :-] Thank you very much for sullying this announcement with your anti-Clinton remarks. I am quite sure the Ken Olson didn't mind.
2692.11	Good News	SALEM::BOUDREAU		`Fri Oct 01 1993 21:10`	4
	Congratulations Ken !!!!!!!!!!!!1
2692.12	Would you prefer Bill or Hillary or Ronnie?	SWAM1::MORRISON_DA		`Fri Oct 01 1993 22:25`	4
	re: .10 - Then again, maybe Ken would have enjoyed it even more if it was presented by one of the current chief executives - Ken seemed like a fairly conservative guy, perhaps it makes sense that he might, eh? In any case I'm sure he was pleased - regardless.
2692.13	RE: .2	TANG::RHINE	Jack, OpenVMS Training Product Manager	`Sat Oct 02 1993 08:34`	6
	Ken deserved presidential recognition, and the recognizer is not as important as the recognition. The efforts that Ken has pioneered through Digital have had a major impact on development of technology and the economy over the years. The fact that Clinton recognized Ken and one of the "great friends of big business" presidents of the previous twelve years says something to me!
2692.14	way to go Ken !	MKFSA::FLATHERS		`Mon Oct 04 1993 09:42`	11
	ONE HEFTY RAZZBERRY TO ALL IN THIS STRING THAT COULDN'T LEAVE POLITICS OUT OF IT !!! Congrads to Ken. And I agree with one reply, yes I bet Ken didn't mind who was the MC. Thankyou Ken for all that you have done !!! Jack
2692.15		DEMOAX::GINGER	Ron Ginger	`Mon Oct 04 1993 09:50`	14
	Ken also had Presidential contact over the years. He was on a Presidents Advisory committee sometime in the late 70's. I later was able to get some support from him for a project I was pushing because of a contact on that committee. I did have several contacts with Ken. For a few years I was working in the Sales Training group and we had Ken in as lunch speaker for most classes. It was great fun to watch all the new hire sales reps shake in their boots at the prospect of lunch with the president. Then Ken wold bound into the room, start munching his chips and sandwich and very quickly have the whole room relaxed but excited. He is without doubt one of the great industrialists of the US. Its wonderfull to see him get some recognition.