Lawrence (Larry) Roberts grew up in Westport, Connecticut[3] as the son of Elliott and Elizabeth Roberts, who both had earned their doctorates in chemistry[3]. During his youth, he built a Tesla coil[3], assembled a television [3], and designed a telephone network built from transistors for his parent's Girl Scout camp.[3]
After receiving his PhD, Roberts continued to work at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory[3]. Having read the seminal 1961 paper of the "Intergalactic Computer Network" by Leonard Kleinrock and J. C. R. Licklider, Roberts developed the first computer-to-computer network that could communicate via data packets [3]. In 1966, he became the chief scientist in the ARPA Information Processing Techniques Office, where he led the development of the ARPANet.
In 1973, Roberts left ARPA to commercialize the nascent technology in the form of Telenet[4], the first[1] packet switch utility company, and served as its CEO from 1973 to 1980. He was CEO of NetExpress, an ATM equipment company, from 1983 to 1993. Roberts was president of ATM Systems from 1993 to 1998. He was chairman and CTO of Caspian Networks, but left in early 2004; Caspian ceased operation in late 2006. [5] Roberts is the founder and current chairman of Anagran Inc. [5] Anagran continues work in the same area as Caspian: IP flow management with improved QoS for the Internet.
As of July 2008, Dr. Roberts has recongized that the Internet lack sufficient capacity to fully support the bandwidth requirements of all applications (see[6]). As such, some applications must receive different grades of service which his new company, Anagram, is now supporting.
Awards and honors
IEEE Harry M. Goode Memorial Award (1976 ), "In recognition of his contributions to the architectural design of computer-communication systems, his leadership in creating a fertile research environment leading to advances in computer and satellite communications techniques, his role in the establishment of standard international communication protocols and procedures, and his accomplishments in development and demonstration of packet switching technology and the ensuing networks which grew out of this work."[7]
IEEE W. Wallace McDowell Award (1990), "For architecting packet switching technology and bringing it into practical use by means of the ARPA network."[9][8]
IEEE Internet Award (2000) For "early, preeminent contributions in conceiving, analyzing and demonstrating packet-switching networks, the foundation technology of the Internet."[11][8]
International Engineering Consortium Fellow Award (2001)[8]
Principe de Asturias Award 2002 in Spain"for designing and implementing a system that is changing the world by providing previously unthought of opportunities for social and scientific progress."[12]
NEC C&C Award (2005) in Japan"For Contributions to Establishing the Foundation of Today's Internet Technology through...the Design and Development of ARPANET and Other Early Computer Networks that were Part of the Initial Internet."[13]
External links
Oral history interview with Lawrence G. Roberts. Charles Babbage Institute, University of Minnesota. Roberts directed the Information Processing Techniques Office (IPTO) during 1968-1973 and was later chief operating officer of Network Express. The interview focuses on IPTO and the Advanced Research Projects Agency. Much of Roberts' description of the work of ARPA and IPTO is set within the context of his interactions with Congress on budget matters. Topics include J. C. R. Licklider, Ivan Sutherland, Steve Lukasik, Wesley Clark, ARPA and IPTO support of research in computer science, computer networks, and artificial intelligence, the ARPANET, the involvement of universities with ARPA and IPTO.
^ "The Internet is one of the most eloquent examples of the benefits that accrue from scientific research and a commitment to technological innovation. A myriad of people and institutions were involved in this work. The jury wishes to acknowledge them all in awarding the prize to the four leaders of so extraordinary a development."The Jury for the Prince of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research 2002 (D. José Luis Álvarez Margaride, D. Ernesto Carmona Guzmán, et al) (2002-05-23). "Minutes of the Jury - Technical and Scientific Research 2002". Fundación Príncipe de Asturias.