A short presentation I delivered on the history and makeup of the early Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) innovation lab. In particular, I highlight how Alan Kay's contributions led to several key elements of our modern computers.

1. Jeremy Pesner
Great Group: Xerox
PARC (CSL)
The Makers of the Modern Computer

2. History

Founded in 1970

Run by Bob Taylor

Brought in the best Computer Scientists from
around the country he had met through ARPA
(one of them: Alan Kay)

A long process to get in, including a public
presentation

Greatest collection of minds after Manhattan
project (so say Bennis & Biederman)

3. What made it great?

Pyramid Structure – All scientists reported directly to
Taylor

Didn't matter if they were unpleasant

Free from administrative details, worked on the
projects they wanted

Only one requirement: Weekly meeting to critique
each other

Were shielded from main Xerox office by Taylor

“Religious zeal” for their work – were reimagining the
computer

4. Alan Kay

Dissertation: Interactive computer which
would “aid in the visualization and
realization of provocative notions.”

(Consider what computers were then)

Invited by Taylor to join PARC and work on
interactive computing

At 30, one of the oldest people there

Awesome dude

Exposed to art, music, literature –
connected a lot of dots

5. What Did Alan Kay Create?
The Alto - Alan Kay had visions for the new
version of a computer, used theories of
interaction and learning more than science
Object-Oriented Programming - A new
paradigm for programming languages.
Made them easier to learn and understand.
Used in all major languages today
Graphic User Interface – Do you know how annoying it is to
access files by terminal?
Dynabook (concept) - “Self-contained object manipulator...
the size and shape of an ordinary notebook.”

6. PARC's Progeny

7. In Short...