https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/21/technology/c-gordon-bell-dead.html

Gordon Bell,  a remarkable man, left us a few days ago at 89. I first met him in 1973, when I was in my mid-20s and he was in his 30s.  Gordon came to Rotterdam, where I had organized a local Digital  Equipment  Corporation user group, DECUS meeting.  Gordon was vice president of Engineering at Digital, which we called DEC back then. I was head of the Computer department at the Thorax Center, which was part of your Erasmus University’s Medical School.  After the meeting in which Gordon spoke, I drove him to the Amsterdam airport. That gave us an hour to get to know each other.  Gordon played a significant role in the development of the computer industry, and I am sure much will be written about that in the tributes to Gordon and his life.  Here, I will write about the Gordon I knew and his impact on my life.

Just six years later, in 1979,  I joined Digital Equipment Corporation, having decided to leave the medical field to focus on computer technology. I returned to the United States to work at Digital Equipment Corporation,  the second-largest computer company in the world. I chose to work within the central engineering organization, which was run by Gordon and Larry Portner. Dick Clayton who reported to Gordon was responsible for my hiring although it was Roy Moffa to whom I initially reported.  My job was as manager of low-end hardware engineering within the Central Engineering organization. This involved the development of Q-bus-based PDP-11 computers and maintenance support for those computers and some PDP-8.  I had been very interested in single-user computer systems (what we call personal computers now) for many years.  Earlier, as the head of the computer business at Mennen Medical, I had developed a single-user patient monitoring system for the ICU called Solo. It used a PDP-11 chip. During my first year at Digital, I would occasionally interact with Gordon.  I did not know that Ken Olsen, the founder and CEO of Digital, was interested in developing a “personal computer.”  One day, Gordon invited me to the home of Stand Olsen, Ken’s brother, along with a few other people to discuss the development of a personal computer. I was surprised to see Ken Olsen there when I entered. I had only been at the company for one year.  Before that, I had been working in the medical technology field for 13 years. I had no engineering education, I will not go into the long story about the development of the three competing personal computers that eventually resulted from this meeting.  For those interested, I suggest you read my book, The Flight of a Wild Duck, chapter 6, “Going Digital.”

Gordon’s decision to invite me to meet with Ken Olsen likely changed the trajectory of my life. I had only been at the company for one year.  Before that, I had been working in the medical technology field for 13 years. I had no engineering education. Why Gordon took a chance on me will always be a mystery.   The meeting allowed me to manage a significant development involving engineering, manufacturing, service, and marketing. It put me in regular contact with the leaders of one of the most successful computer companies and allowed me to interact with other industry leaders. While my efforts to get Digital into the personal computer industry failed, sadly, I learned many valuable lessons from the failure. 

While Gordon sponsored the program that resulted from the meeting, sending a memo to the operations committee (the top management group) and inviting me to present my proposal, he never had his heart in personal computers. Still, he was always available to me and offered important advice. When it was clear that I needed adequate support from my direct manager, he changed the management structure.  

I also spent a lot of time talking with Ken Olsen. The dynamics between Ken and Gordon were something to behold. I discuss this in my book, The Flight of the Wild Duck. Some of it was pretty funny, although as a young engineering manager, I did not know what to make of it.  

Gordon was a genius but a disorganized one who often changed his mind.  I remember someone once joked that if we want to confuse our competition (Data General at the time), we should send them one day of Gordon’s email but remove the time stamps.

We became friends. My wife at the time and I would visit with Gordon and his wife Gwen at their home. When I resigned in 1983, Gordon was no longer running engineering.  He had suffered a heart attack early in 1983 and left the company later that year.

Gordon and his first wife, Gwen, founded the Computer Museum in 1979.  I would go to events there occasionally and continue for more than 20 years to be a sponsor.

I kept in touch with Gordon, and we communicated from time to time, including when he lived part of the year in Sydney.    

Gordon liked to reflect on the computer industry’s history and opine, especially about Digital Equipment and Ken Olson’s role.  

Gordon said that the most significant contribution made in the development of Digital’s failed attempt to enter the personal computer industry is that it kept Ken Olson from spending time on the development of the VAX, their highly successful computer architecture that was Gordon’s most important contribution.   In 1997, he moderated a panel discussion at the computer museum on the development of the Digitals Personal computers, the Professional, Rainbow, and Decmate.  It is worth watching this.  It certainly brings back memories of Gordon, particularly his engaging smile. Sadly, I am the only one of the panelists still alive as Barry James Folsom (the man responsible for the Rainbow) died in 2022. 

Gordon, you were such a special man and will be missed by so many.