Harold Abelson

Harold Abelson is an American computer scientist, entrepreneur, author and educator. He is best known for his works on the language Processing System and Structured Programming – which helped revolutionize computer programming in the 1970s-1980s. He is currently a Professor at the MIT Media Lab and a Member of the National Academy of Engineering.

Harold Abelson was born and raised in New York City. He received his bachelor's degree from Cornell in 1965, and later his Ph.D from MIT. Before receiving his doctorate, Abelson worked as a research assistant for Professor Marvin Minsky at MIT’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and the two developed the jointly written book ‘Semantics of Programming Languages’.

Abelson's breakthrough came when he developed the language Processing System (LPS) in the late 1970s. LPS was designed to revolutionize the way programs could be written and executed. Working as a professor at MIT, Abelson oversaw and directed various projects in the field of computer science and information technology. Among them was the book ‘Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs’ which he wrote with Gerry Sussman and Julie Sussman. The book uses the LPS to teach the fundamentals of computer programming.

In the early 1980s, Abelson began developing methods for teaching computer programming to school students. His book, ‘Computer Science for All’ has become the standard for computer science instruction for students with no prior experience. Abelson's work in this field has been credited for encouraging a wider interest in computer programming and technology throughout the country.

Abelson's efforts have not been limited to the educational field. He worked on the MIT Open Courseware project, ensuring the materials used in his courses were made available online to anyone interested. He is also a founding member of the Free Software Foundation and an advocate of open source software development. He also worked with Professor Robert Weber to create the Logo programming language.

Today, Abelson is recognized all around the world for his contributions to the field of computer science. He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors for his academic works, including the Turing Awardand the ACM Software System Award. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the British Computer Society.

Harold Abelson has written and co-authored numerous books and articles which cover topics ranging from computer programming and algorithms to philosophy and artificial intelligence. Among his most notable books are ‘Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs’, ‘Computer Science for All’, ‘The Logo Programming Language’, and ‘The Master Algorithm’. All of his works are highly respected by computer scientists and the technology community.

Harold Abelson is an inspiration to many aspiring computer scientists and entrepreneurs. His contributions to the field are far-reaching, having developed methods and concepts that are still used today. By bridging the gap between programming and education, he has made a lasting impact on the world of computer science.