Bernard Galler
Encyclopedia
Bernard A. Galler was an American mathematician and computer scientist at the University of Michigan
who was involved in the development of large-scale operating systems and computer languages including the MAD programming language
and the Michigan Terminal System
operating system.
He attended the University of Chicago
where he earned a
B.Sc. in mathematics
at the University of Chicago
(1947), followed by a M.Sc. from UCLA and a Ph.D.
from the University of Chicago
(1955), advised by Paul Halmos
and Marshall Stone.
He joined the mathematics department at the University of Michigan
(1955) where he taught the first programming course (1956) using an IBM 704
.
Galler helped to develop the computer language called the Michigan Algorithm Decoder (1959-) in use at several universities.
He formed the Communication Sciences dept (1965), renamed Computer Sciences (CS), which became the Computer and Communications (CCS) dept (1984), and Computer Science Department in the 70s, from which
he retired in 1994.
His class developed the realtime course scheduling program called Computer Registration Involving Student Participation (CRISP) which allowed students to register for courses without waiting in long lines. The University used the CRISP application for over fifteen years.
From 1968 to 1970, Prof. Galler was the President of the Association for Computing Machinery
(ACM). In 1994 he was inducted as a Fellow
of the Association for Computing Machinery
.
He was the founding editor of the journal IEEE Annals of the History of Computing
(1979-87). He was also the President of the Software Patent Institute
(1992).
For fifteen years, he served as an expert witness in numerous important legal cases around the country involving computer software issues.
He was married to Enid Harris, played violin in several orchestras and chamber groups, co-founded the Ypsilanti Youth Orchestra (2001) for children
whose schools did not have string music education. He was president of the Orchestra Board at the University of Michigan and a member of the Ann Arbor chapter of Rotary International
. He died from pulmonary embolism
.
The Bernard A. Galler Fellowship Fund has been established at the University of Michigan Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science to "attract and support outstanding graduate students pursuing an advanced degree in computer science."
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
who was involved in the development of large-scale operating systems and computer languages including the MAD programming language
MAD programming language
MAD is a programming language and compiler for the IBM 704 and later the IBM 709, IBM 7090, UNIVAC 1107, UNIVAC 1108, Philco 210-211, and eventually the IBM S/370 mainframe computers. Developed in 1959 at the University of Michigan by Bernard Galler, Bruce Arden and Robert M. Graham, MAD is a...
and the Michigan Terminal System
Michigan Terminal System
The Michigan Terminal System is one of the first time-sharing computer operating systems. Initially developed in 1967 at the University of Michigan for use on IBM S/360-67, S/370 and compatible mainframe computers, it was developed and used by a consortium of eight universities in the United...
operating system.
He attended the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
where he earned a
B.Sc. in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
(1947), followed by a M.Sc. from UCLA and a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
(1955), advised by Paul Halmos
Paul Halmos
Paul Richard Halmos was a Hungarian-born American mathematician who made fundamental advances in the areas of probability theory, statistics, operator theory, ergodic theory, and functional analysis . He was also recognized as a great mathematical expositor.-Career:Halmos obtained his B.A...
and Marshall Stone.
He joined the mathematics department at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
(1955) where he taught the first programming course (1956) using an IBM 704
IBM 704
The IBM 704, the first mass-produced computer with floating point arithmetic hardware, was introduced by IBM in 1954. The 704 was significantly improved over the IBM 701 in terms of architecture as well as implementations which were not compatible with its predecessor.Changes from the 701 included...
.
Galler helped to develop the computer language called the Michigan Algorithm Decoder (1959-) in use at several universities.
He formed the Communication Sciences dept (1965), renamed Computer Sciences (CS), which became the Computer and Communications (CCS) dept (1984), and Computer Science Department in the 70s, from which
he retired in 1994.
His class developed the realtime course scheduling program called Computer Registration Involving Student Participation (CRISP) which allowed students to register for courses without waiting in long lines. The University used the CRISP application for over fifteen years.
From 1968 to 1970, Prof. Galler was the President of the Association for Computing Machinery
Association for Computing Machinery
The Association for Computing Machinery is a learned society for computing. It was founded in 1947 as the world's first scientific and educational computing society. Its membership is more than 92,000 as of 2009...
(ACM). In 1994 he was inducted as a Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of the Association for Computing Machinery
Association for Computing Machinery
The Association for Computing Machinery is a learned society for computing. It was founded in 1947 as the world's first scientific and educational computing society. Its membership is more than 92,000 as of 2009...
.
He was the founding editor of the journal IEEE Annals of the History of Computing
IEEE Annals of the History of Computing
The IEEE Annals of the History of Computing is a quarterly journal published by the IEEE Computer Society. It contains peer-reviewed articles and other contributions on the history of computing, computer science and computer hardware by computer scientists and historians...
(1979-87). He was also the President of the Software Patent Institute
Software Patent Institute
Software Patent Institute is an American non-profit corporation established to assist in the correct assignment of software patent...
(1992).
For fifteen years, he served as an expert witness in numerous important legal cases around the country involving computer software issues.
He was married to Enid Harris, played violin in several orchestras and chamber groups, co-founded the Ypsilanti Youth Orchestra (2001) for children
whose schools did not have string music education. He was president of the Orchestra Board at the University of Michigan and a member of the Ann Arbor chapter of Rotary International
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
. He died from pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism is a blockage of the main artery of the lung or one of its branches by a substance that has travelled from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream . Usually this is due to embolism of a thrombus from the deep veins in the legs, a process termed venous thromboembolism...
.
The Bernard A. Galler Fellowship Fund has been established at the University of Michigan Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science to "attract and support outstanding graduate students pursuing an advanced degree in computer science."
External links
- The Language of Computers, Bernard Galler, McGraw-Hill, 1962, LC: 62-13811
- Oral history interview with Bernard A. Galler Charles Babbage InstituteCharles Babbage InstituteThe Charles Babbage Institute is a research center at the University of Minnesota specializing in the history of information technology, particularly the history since 1935 of digital computing, programming/software, and computer networking....
, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Galler describes the development of computer science at the University of Michigan from the 1950s through the 1980s and discusses his own work in computer science. Galler also discusses Michigan's relationship with ARPANETARPANETThe Advanced Research Projects Agency Network , was the world's first operational packet switching network and the core network of a set that came to compose the global Internet...
, CSNETCSNETThe Computer Science Network was a computer network that began operation in 1981 in the United States. Its purpose was to extend networking benefits, for computer science departments at academic and research institutions that could not be directly connected to ARPANET, due to funding or...
, and BITNETBITNETBITNET was a cooperative USA university network founded in 1981 by Ira Fuchs at the City University of New York and Greydon Freeman at Yale University...
. He describes the atmosphere on campus in the 1960s and early 1970s and his various administrative roles at the university. Galler discusses his involvement with the Association for Computing MachineryAssociation for Computing MachineryThe Association for Computing Machinery is a learned society for computing. It was founded in 1947 as the world's first scientific and educational computing society. Its membership is more than 92,000 as of 2009...
, the American Federation of Information Processing SocietiesAmerican Federation of Information Processing SocietiesThe American Federation of Information Processing Societies was an umbrella organization of professional societies established on May 10, 1961 and dissolved in 1990...
, the founding of the Charles Babbage InstituteCharles Babbage InstituteThe Charles Babbage Institute is a research center at the University of Minnesota specializing in the history of information technology, particularly the history since 1935 of digital computing, programming/software, and computer networking....
, and his work with the Annals of the History of Computing. - A Day in the Life of Bernard Galler, ACM Crossroads (no date)
- The Mathematics Genealogy Project: Bernard Galler
- Bernard A. Galler, DBLP Computer Science Bibliography
- Bernard Galler's obituary in the University Record, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.