Lawrence Roberts

Updated: 12/30/2019 by Computer Hope
Lawrence Roberts

Name: Lawrence (Larry) G. Roberts

Born: December 21, 1937

Death: December 26, 2018 (Age: 81)

Computer-related contributions

  • One of the four fathers of the Internet.
  • As a program manager and office director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency, Roberts and his team created the ARPANET using packet switching techniques. The ARPANET was the predecessor to the modern Internet.
  • In 1973, Roberts left ARPA to commercialize the nascent packet switching technology in the form of telenet, the first packet switch utility company, and served as its CEO from 1973 to 1980.

Honors and awards

  • Inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame by the Internet Society (2012).
  • NEC C&C Award in Japan (2005).
  • IEEE Internet Award (2000).
  • Association for Computing Machinery SIGCOMM Award (1998).
  • IEEE Harry M. Goode Memorial Award (1976).