Not many people can claim their father has a museum named after him, but longtime Newbury Park resident Terri Childs can.
The Paul Gray Personal Computing Museum, located on the campus of Claremont Graduate University, was established to honor her father’s legacy.
In 1983, after holding professorships at universities, including Stanford and USC, Dr. Gray began an 18-year career teaching at CGU, where he founded the Center for Information Systems and Technology.
“Simply put, using cutting-edge technical training, students learn to manage data to help solve problems in business, health, education and government,” explains Childs, who has lived in the area with her husband and family for 22 years.
Dr. Gray, who passed away in 2012 at the age of 81, was a beloved educator and colleague. He continues to be celebrated for his innovative research and approach to teaching.
When he retired in 2001, Lorne Olfman, a professor in his department, surprised Gray at his farewell party with an announcement he had raised funds for a museum to be named after him.
“Dad was thrilled and decided to curate the museum himself,” recalls Childs, adding that her father’s collection of personal computers became the core of the museum.
When mainframe computers transitioned to PCs, Gray became an avid collector.
“He knew in a fast-moving field, things change, and he wanted to preserve a moment in time,” she says.
Childs remembers her father had understood from the start the impact personal computing would have on people’s lives.
“And I think he felt fortunate to live in a time when computers went from being accessible to only a select few to becoming available to everyone.”
The museum opened in 2002 and consists of six exhibits, each featuring computers and highlighting important themes, such as The Computer Lifestyle, Portability and IBM versus Apple. Visitors can track the early development of personal computing from the Data Products PortaCom (1971), the oldest machine in the museum’s ever-growing collection, to the IBM Thinkpad (1994).
These days with a smartphone, we can hold a computer in the palm of our hand. So it is astonishing to see the 26-pound, suitcase-sized Osborne I (1981), the first “luggable” computer, as it was then known. The museum’s artifacts underscore just how quickly technology has evolved.
The museum also honors Gray’s life’s work as an educator by sharing knowledge with people of all ages through its educational programs. Their mission is to inspire creativity and innovation through engagement with technology, as well as to examine how computers affect our lives.
Allison Koehler, the museum’s former executive director, developed a curriculum based on the museum’s current exhibits that teaches young students the history of PCs. The River Oaks Academy in Thousand Oaks will be offering the course over Zoom to middle school students as an extracurricular option this spring.
“Considering how computers permeate our daily lives, it’s important to learn about their origins,” notes Childs, ROA board president. “Understanding the past provides a valuable perspective that might help solve current and future problems.”
The museum also hosts an online speakers series, Decoding the Past, where experts discuss the past and future of technology and society. Additionally, the museum has fostered interdisciplinary partnerships across Claremont Graduate University and with other organizations.
“Dad often worked on projects with professors in other departments,” Childs says. “His book, What They Didn’t Teach You in Graduate School: 299 Helpful Hints for Success in Your Academic Career, was cowritten with David Drew, a professor of education.”
Origins
Born December 8, 1930, in Vienna, Austria, Gray enjoyed an idyllic childhood until the Nazis took control of Austria in 1938. The family immigrated to America in 1939, settling in New York City.
A bright student, Gray graduated high school early and received his bachelor’s degree in math at NYU at 19. He met his future wife, NYU co-ed Muriel Blynn, that same year; they were married just shy of 60 years.
Gray obtained master’s degrees in math and electrical engineering, and his PhD from Stanford University in operations research. His long-standing interest in computation was sparked by a class in numerical analysis at NYU.
Throughout his academic career, Gray worked with many pioneers of technology, including Doug Englebart, who invented the computer mouse.
“Dad told the story of Englebart calling him and other colleagues to his office to see his new, yet-unnamed invention, which could move a dot on the screen. They all said, ‘Doug that’s great, but what could possibly be the application for this?’” laughs Childs.
Not surprisingly, her father’s interest in computing influenced her career path.
“After graduate school, I found my niche—technology marketing and public relations.”
Tragically, Paul Gray died from injuries sustained from a car crash caused by a driver on her cell phone. His wife, who was seriously injured, passed away 4 years later.
Childs describes her father as someone who believed strongly in himself. His enthusiasm for everything he did was infectious.
“He was an engineer in the optimistic American tradition of the 50s,” she notes. “American technology was world-class and the future was bright.”
Childs remembers the tributes to her father upon his retirement about how he inspired and enriched his students’ and colleagues’ lives. One student summed up best what Gray meant to them all.
“He quoted a verse from Sanskrit Vedic literature: The gift of knowledge is the greatest gift.”
For more information and a virtual tour, visit research.cgu.edu/paul-gray-pc-museum.