Seymour Cray

Seymour Cray (1925-1996), American electronics engineer and computer designer, known for his contributions to early computers and supercomputers. Born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, Cray attended the University of Wisconsin, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1950. He established himself at the forefront of computer design through his work at Remington Rand Corporation, Control Data Corporation, and Cray Research, Inc.

Cray’s professional career began with his work on the UNIVAC computer. The invention of the transistor in 1947 led to faster, more reliable electronic computers. Transistors began to replace bulky vacuum tubes used in early computers like ENIAC. With contributions from Cray, Remington Rand Corporation introduced the UNIVAC-1 computer in 1951. UNIVAC gained widespread media attention in 1952 when it accurately predicted the election of Dwight D. Eisenhower as president less than 45 minutes after the polls closed. This publicity came at a time when there were only about 100 computers in use in the world.

In 1957 Cray helped found Control Data Corporation, which developed the first fully transistorized computer the following year. Cray founded Cray Research in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin in 1972. Cray Research established the standard for supercomputers with the 1976 introduction of the Cray-1, the fastest, most powerful computer of its time. In 1985 Cray introduced the even more powerful Cray-2 supercomputer. Supercomputers are used primarily in the fields of mathematics, aeronautics, and defense research, although their design and use are still evolving.

In 1981 Cray resigned as chief executive of Cray Research to devote himself to computer design. He remained on as consultant director and made significant contributions in the areas of vector-register technology and cooling systems.