Fortran developer John Backus dies at 82

John W. Backus, who led the team at IBM that created the computer language Fortran, died Saturday, at age 82.

John W. Backus

Fortran, released in 1957, was considered a major step forward in computer programming languages. It marked the shift from machine-readable computer languages (requiring punch cards) to human-readable languages. Fortran's new method was applied to intensive supercomputing problems, and thanks to the creation of multiple compilers, was one of the first languages to be widely used across different architectures.

Backus was known as a maverick at a time when IBM was renowned for its stolid, corporate image. Bloggers are lamenting his death while celebrating his achievements.

Blog community response:

"Back in the days when I would rather have died than work for IBM, in part because of their dress code, ... but also because of the influence that Ted Nelson had on me, I remember being impressed with Backus's way of flouting form. IBM employees were required to wear suits; Backus always wore a denim suit. I remember the picture of him in the newspaper. It's a little thing, but it meant a lot to me. I'm glad that the photo I found of him on IBM's site has him in denim, and glad that I can explain why dressing in denim was at one time radical."
--Emergent Chaos

"I never run any Fortran code nor I did know who wrote the language until five minutes ago, but I was firmly thinking that 'Mr. Fortran' was alive and well. It's a strange sensation reading of the departure of computer science pioneers, to me they look immortal as their ideas."
-Sid77

"Long live Fortran and the spirit of of pioneers like John Backus!"
--Richard Friedman

"The more I learn, the more I am amazed by how much of what we do today is just a footnote to the pioneering computer science of the 50's and 60's." --Application Generation