IP: Computer science pioneer Samuel D. Conte dies at 85

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

I have known him for many many years and will miss him djf

------ Forwarded Message
From: Gene Spafford <spaf () cerias purdue edu>
Date: Mon, 1 Jul 2002 18:34:28 -0500
To: dave () farber net
Subject: For IP?

Computer science pioneer Samuel D. Conte dies at 85

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Samuel D. Conte, who led and helped establish
the first computer science degree program in the nation at Purdue
University, died at 12:10 p.m. today (Monday, 7/1). He was 85.

Conte, a professor emeritus of computer science and mathematics, came
to Purdue from TRW Systems in 1962 to be the head of the university's
new Department of Computer Sciences -- the first degree-offering
department of computer sciences in the country. He led the department
for 17 years and continued teaching until 1993. Purdue's computer
science program began with five faculty members and 24 students who
were pursuing master's and doctoral degrees. An undergraduate program
was started in 1968. Today, the department is the largest within
Purdue's School of Science, with 32 faculty, nearly 1,000
undergraduates, and over 200 graduate students enrolled as of fall
2001.

During the program's earliest years, Conte worked to make the case
that computer science was, indeed, a science. In a 1999 Computerworld
magazine interview, Conte said: "Most scientists thought that using a
computer was simply programming -- that it didn't involve any deep
scientific thought and that anyone could learn to program. So why
have a degree? They thought computers were vocational vs. scientific
in nature."

Thus, it was natural for Sam to be a member of the ACM committee that
produced the ground-breaking 1968 report, "ACM Curricula
Recommendations for Computer Science."  That report served as a
working definition of the academic and scientific content of computer
science.  The courses and educational materials that were developed
as a result of that effort continue to help define and guide the
field of computer science education to this day.

In addition to teaching and heading the Department of Computer
Sciences, Conte served as director of the Purdue University Computing
Center from 1962-68. He also served as senior scientist at the
Software Engineering Research Center, which was sponsored by the
National Science Foundation as a joint effort between Purdue and the
University of Florida to foster cooperation between industries and
universities in software engineering.

His primary research was in the areas of computational mathematics
and software engineering. He authored more than 50 scientific journal
articles and five books on his research. His early work with faculty,
including the late Maurice Halstead, helped define the field of
software metrics. He co-wrote two textbooks that became standards in
their areas: "Elementary Numerical Analysis" with C. deBoor and
"Software Engineering Metrics and Models" with H. E. Dunsmore and V.
Shen.

In addition to his efforts in education and research, Professor Conte
also made a number of important contributions to the profession.  In
1972, Conte was one of the department chairs of computer science
departments whose discussions led to the formation of the Computer
Science Board (CSB, now the Computing Research Association, CRA). Sam
served as vice-chairman of the CSB from 1976-1977, as
secretary/treasurer from 1980-1981, and as chair from 1977-1978.  He
assisted Orin Taulbee in the early and mid 1970s in the collection
and reporting of statistics about the education of computer
scientists, now carried out by CRA as the annual Taulbee report.

Conte's accomplishments earned him honors from both inside and
outside the university. He was named a Sagamore of the Wabash
(Indiana's highest civilian honor) in 1997 by Indiana Gov. Frank
O'Bannon. In 1982 Purdue awarded him emeritus status as a professor
of mathematics and of computer science, and a university lecture
series and distinguished professorship in the Department of Computer
Sciences bear his name. In 1982-83 he also served as a distinguished
visiting professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Conte was born June 5, 1917, in Lackawanna, N.Y. He earned his
bachelor's degree in education in 1939 from Buffalo State University.
He served in the U.S. Army from 1943-46 in the European Theater
during World War II before earning master's and doctoral degrees in
mathematics from the University of Michigan in 1948 and 1950,
respectively.

Before coming to Purdue, Conte was an associate professor of
mathematics at Wayne State University from 1946-56. He was a manager
of a TRW Systems research group from 1956-62 where he was involved in
ballistic missile and satellite research.

Sam is survived by his wife, Margaret M. Conte, five children
(Robert, Cheryl, Barry, Margie, and Alva), and four brothers.
Calling will be from 10:30-11:30 a.m. on Wednesday (7/3) at Church of
the Blessed Sacrament in West Lafayette, IN, with a funeral mass at
11:30.

Memorial donations may be made to the Samuel D. Conte Endowment Fund
at Purdue University.

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: A publication-quality photograph of Samuel D. Conte is
available at ftp://ftp.purdue.edu/pub/uns/conte.s.jpeg.


(Portions of this obituary were written by B. Zink of the Purdue
University News Service)


------ End of Forwarded Message

For archives see:
http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/