Russell Noftsker
Encyclopedia
Russell Noftsker is an American entrepreneur who notably founded Symbolics
, and was its first chairman and president.
described Noftsker as "A compactly built blond with pursed features and blue eyes". Noftsker earned a degree in engineering from New Mexico State University
and was hired in 1965 by Marvin Minsky
to replace MIT
's administrator of the AI Lab, Dan Edwards, who had recently left that post. He would later hire Richard Stallman
as a systems programmer for the lab.
's development of the early Lisp machine
, Noftsker proposed that the two of them commercialize the technology. Greenblatt initially accepted, but differences over business strategy and direction split the two apart February 1979, each forming their own company. Noftsker formed Symbolics
with Robert Adams and a number of AI Lab hackers, taking on the role of president and chairman; Greenblatt would eventually start Lisp Machines Inc.
Nofstker was forced out of Symbolics completely by the board in 1988 after an internal battle with the then CEO Brian Sear. He had already been forced to resign his presidency April 1984 by the board, retaining his chairmanship.
In 1994 at the suggestion of Richard Bond and other members of the community he formed a group which bought the assets of the company out of bankruptcy. He combined it with a small company which he had formed which was selling mathematical software.
Symbolics
Symbolics refers to two companies: now-defunct computer manufacturer Symbolics, Inc., and a privately held company that acquired the assets of the former company and continues to sell and maintain the Open Genera Lisp system and the Macsyma computer algebra system.The symbolics.com domain was...
, and was its first chairman and president.
Biography
Steven LevySteven Levy
Steven Levy is an American journalist who has written several books on computers, technology, cryptography, the Internet, cybersecurity, and privacy.-Career:...
described Noftsker as "A compactly built blond with pursed features and blue eyes". Noftsker earned a degree in engineering from New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
and was hired in 1965 by Marvin Minsky
Marvin Minsky
Marvin Lee Minsky is an American cognitive scientist in the field of artificial intelligence , co-founder of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's AI laboratory, and author of several texts on AI and philosophy.-Biography:...
to replace MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
's administrator of the AI Lab, Dan Edwards, who had recently left that post. He would later hire Richard Stallman
Richard Stallman
Richard Matthew Stallman , often shortened to rms,"'Richard Stallman' is just my mundane name; you can call me 'rms'"|last= Stallman|first= Richard|date= N.D.|work=Richard Stallman's homepage...
as a systems programmer for the lab.
Lisp machines and Symbolics
He left the Lab in 1973 "under duress" (according to Levy), but would later return to the Lab. Having followed Richard GreenblattRichard Greenblatt (programmer)
Richard D. Greenblatt is an American computer programmer. Along with Bill Gosper, he may be considered to have founded the hacker community, and holds a place of distinction in the Lisp and the MIT AI Lab communities.-Childhood:...
's development of the early Lisp machine
Lisp machine
Lisp machines were general-purpose computers designed to efficiently run Lisp as their main software language. In a sense, they were the first commercial single-user workstations...
, Noftsker proposed that the two of them commercialize the technology. Greenblatt initially accepted, but differences over business strategy and direction split the two apart February 1979, each forming their own company. Noftsker formed Symbolics
Symbolics
Symbolics refers to two companies: now-defunct computer manufacturer Symbolics, Inc., and a privately held company that acquired the assets of the former company and continues to sell and maintain the Open Genera Lisp system and the Macsyma computer algebra system.The symbolics.com domain was...
with Robert Adams and a number of AI Lab hackers, taking on the role of president and chairman; Greenblatt would eventually start Lisp Machines Inc.
Nofstker was forced out of Symbolics completely by the board in 1988 after an internal battle with the then CEO Brian Sear. He had already been forced to resign his presidency April 1984 by the board, retaining his chairmanship.
In 1994 at the suggestion of Richard Bond and other members of the community he formed a group which bought the assets of the company out of bankruptcy. He combined it with a small company which he had formed which was selling mathematical software.