An Wang
This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2023) |
An Wang | |
---|---|
王安 | |
Born | |
Died | March 24, 1990 | (aged 70)
Alma mater | Shanghai Jiao Tong University Harvard University (PhD) |
Known for | Development of magnetic core memory. |
Scientific career | |
Institutions | Wang Laboratories |
An Wang (Chinese: 王安; pinyin: Wáng Ān; February 7, 1920 – March 24, 1990) was a Chinese–American computer engineer and inventor, and cofounder of computer company Wang Laboratories, which was known primarily for its dedicated word processing machines. An Wang was an important contributor to the development of magnetic-core memory.[1]
Early life and career
A native of
Wang Laboratories
Wang founded Wang Laboratories in June 1951 as a sole proprietorship. The first years were lean and Wang raised $50,000 working capital by selling one third of the company to a machine tools manufacturer Warner & Swasey Company.
In 1955, when the
By 1970, the company had sales of $27 million and 1,400 employees. They began manufacturing word processors in 1974, copying the already popular Xerox Redactron word processor, a single-user, cassette-based product.
In 1976, they started marketing a multi-user, display-based product, based on the
In 1984, Wang and his family owned about 55 percent of the company stock, and
Wang Laboratories, which in 1989 once employed over 30,000 people, was headquartered in Tewksbury, Massachusetts and later Lowell, Massachusetts. When Wang looked to retire from actively running his company in 1986, he insisted upon handing over the corporate reins to his son Fred Wang. Hard times ensued for the company and the elder Wang was eventually forced to remove his son in 1989.
Later years
An Wang also founded the Wang Institute of Graduate Studies in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts, which offered a graduate program in software engineering. He made substantial donations to this organization, including the proceeds of his autobiography, Lessons. However, enrollment remained low, and in 1987, after nearly a decade of operation, Wang decided to discontinue funding the institution and transferred ownership of the campus to Boston University.
An Wang also made a substantial contribution for the restoration of a Boston landmark, which was then called the Metropolitan Theatre. The "Met" was renamed in 1983 as
Wang was one of twelve recipients of the
An Wang died of cancer in 1990. He and his wife, Lorraine (Chiu) Wang, lived in Lincoln, Massachusetts. Lorraine Wang died on March 1, 2016, at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Massachusetts.[6] They had three children.
Aphorisms
An Wang is known for a number of pithy aphorisms summing up principles based on his experience in business and life.[7][8] Examples include:
- "Success is more a function of consistent common sense than of genius."[9]
See also
- The Wang Center for the Performing Arts
- History of the Chinese in Boston
- Wang's factor-combining method
References
- ^ a b c "Immigrant who revolutionized computer industry dies at 70". Deseret News. Salt Lake City, Utah). UPI. March 25, 1990. p. A11.
- ^ "王安(An Wang):王安公司创始人". Archived from the original on 2008-01-25. Retrieved 2009-08-03.
- ^ "巨商王安:上海交大高材生 在哈佛大学深造(6)". Archived from the original on 2013-12-30. Retrieved 2013-12-30.
- ^ "Wang Building". Archived from the original on 2015-01-28.
- ^ "Inventor profile - An Wang". National Inventors Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2010-12-05. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
- ^ Marquard, Bryan (March 7, 2016). "Lorraine Wang, 95, philanthropist who helped establish Wang Center". Boston Globe. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
- ^ "Famous Quotes by An Wang (3 Quotations) – Famous Quotes". www.famous-quotes.com.
- ^ "An Wang Quotes". BrainyQuote.
- ISBN 9780201094008.
External links
- Short biography of An Wang Archived 2019-12-30 at the Wayback Machine
Patents
- U.S. patent 2,708,722 "Pulse transfer controlling device", filed October 21, 1949, issued May 17, 1955
- U.S. patent 3,402,285 "Calculating Apparatus" (using logarithms for calculation), filed September 22, 1964, issued September 17, 1968
- U.S. patent 4,145,739 "Distributed data processing system", filed June 20, 1977, issued March 20, 1979.
- U.S. patent 4,294,550 Ideographic typewriter. October 13, 1981
- U.S. patent 4,297,042 Helical print head mechanism. October 27, 1981
- U.S. patent 4,386,864 Selective paper insertion and feeding means for individual sheet printing apparatus. June 7, 1983
- U.S. patent 4,489,419 Data communication system. December 18, 1984
- U.S. patent 4,508,463 High density dot matrix printer. April 2, 1985
- U.S. patent 4,514,063 Scanner document positioning device. April 30, 1985
- U.S. patent 4,587,633 Management communication terminal system. May 6, 1986
- U.S. patent 4,595,921 Method of polling to ascertain service needs. June 17, 1986
- U.S. patent 4,638,118 Writing pad. January 20, 1987
- U.S. patent 4,712,795 Game racket. December 15, 1987
- U.S. patent 5,129,061 Composite document accessing and processing terminal with graphic and text data buffers. July 7, 1992
- U.S. patent 5,334,976 Keyboard with finger-actuable and stylus-actuable keys. August 2, 1994