Clifford Berry

Clifford Edward Berry ( born April 19, 1918 in Gladbrook, Iowa, † October 30, 1963 ) was an American computer pioneer. He supported John Atanasoff in the development of the first electronic digital computer, the Atanasoff -Berry Computer.

Life

Berry studied electrical engineering at Iowa State University. In 1939 he received the Bachelor of this field of study. He subsequently took up post-graduate studies in physics, from which he graduated in 1941 as Master.

In the spring of 1939 year he began Atanasoff in the computing machine project, which led to Atanoff -Berry computer assist. In December 1939 the first prototype was presented. The project then received the order to develop a complete computing machine for the solution of systems of equations. With the beginning of World War II to work on the computing machine was set.

On May 30, 1942 Berry married Martha Jean Reed, a secretary of Atanasoff. From this marriage two children were born.

After the wedding, Berry took a job with the Consolidated Engineering Corporation in Pasadena ( California). An exemption allowed him the conditions for the Ph.D. degree to meet in physics at Iowa State College of Pasadena. In 1948 he received his doctorate for his thesis on The Effects of Initial Energies on Mass Spectra. In 1949 he became a senior physicist in 1952 as Deputy Director of Research and 1959 Engineering Manager at CEC appointed.

In October 1963 he joined as head of development for Vacuum Electronics Corporation to Plainview (New York).