Andrew Donald Booth
Andrew Donald Booth (February 11, 1918 – November 29, 2009)[1][2] was a British electrical engineer, physicist and computer scientist who led the invention of the magnetic drum memory for computers and invented Booth's multiplication algorithm.[1]
Booth was raised in Weybridge, Surrey, and educated at the Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School. In 1937, he won a scholarship to read mathematics at Jesus College, Cambridge. Booth left Cambridge without taking a degree, having become disaffected with pure mathematics as a subject. He chose an external degree from the University of London instead, which he obtained with a first.[1]
From 1943 to 1945, Booth worked as a mathematical physicist in the X-ray team at the British Rubber Producers' Research Association (BRPRA), Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, gaining his PhD in crystallography from Birmingham in 1944. In 1945, he moved to Birkbeck College, University of London, where his work in the crystallography group led him to build some of the first electronic computers in the United Kingdom[3][4] including the All Purpose Electronic Computer, first installed at the British Rayon Research Association.[5] Booth founded Birkbeck's department of numerical automation and was recently named a fellow at the university. He also did early pioneering work in machine translation.[6]
Booth served as President of Lakehead University from 1972–1978.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Andrew Booth: scientist who invented the magnetic storage device, The Times, 12 January 2010.
- ^ Johnson, Roger. Pioneer Profile: Andrew Booth. Resurrection, Issue 51, Summer 2010. London: Computer Conservation Society.
- ^ The work of Professor Andrew D. Booth, Department of Computer Science, Birkbeck College, London, UK.
- ^ Collin, Andrew. Andrew Booth's Computers at Birkbeck College. Resurrection, Issue 5, Spring 1993. London: Computer Conservation Society.
- ^ http://www.dcs.bbk.ac.uk/~rgj/Computer%20Science%20at%20Birkbeck%20College%20comp Computer Science at Birkbeck College
- ^ Andrew Booth (2003). Mechanical Translation. Readings in machine translation ed. H. L. Somers. M.I.T.. http://books.google.com/books?id=yx3lEVJMBmMC&pg=PA18.
[edit] External links
- Oral history interview with A. D. Booth, Charles Babbage Institute, University of Minnesota.
- The APEXC driver page
- Obituary
 |
This article about an engineer, inventor or industrial designer from the United Kingdom or its predecessor states is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 |
This article on a computer specialist of the United Kingdom is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- 1918 births
- 2009 deaths
- People educated at Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School
- Alumni of Jesus College, Cambridge
- Alumni of the University of London
- British electrical engineers
- British computer scientists
- Computer pioneers
- Academics of Birkbeck, University of London
- Lakehead University faculty
- British engineer stubs
- British computer specialist stubs
