(Image credit: Getty Images)
On March 14, 2022, Stephen Wilhite, Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) creator and computer scientist, passed away due to COVID-19 complications. He was 74 and in the presence of family members at the hospital. His obituary page states that he remained a very humble, kind, and good man even with his accomplishments. After retiring in 2000, he traveled, camped, and assembled model trains in his basement.
In 1987, Wilhite produced the first-ever GIF while working at CompuServe, a software company and online service provider. He initially programmed the GIF at his home before bringing the project to his workplace. CompuServe then introduced the animated image format to the internet, making it possible to provide "high-quality, high-resolution graphics" during a time when internet speeds were the slowest.
Many people have debated GIF's correct pronunciation for a while. It wasn't until 2013 that Wilhite clarified his stance. He said that the Oxford English Dictionary, which accepts both pronunciations, has the wrong idea. Instead, it's meant to be spoken with a soft 'G,' similar to 'Jif.' As in the peanut butter. Later that month, he received a Webby Lifetime Achievement Award for the GIF invention, providing animation for his speech.
Former colleagues wrote on his obituary page, noting that Wilhite also contributed to other important projects while working for CompuServe (I was on CompuServe in those days). They called him a hard worker who helped make the company successful. Wilhite also said that his favorite GIF is the dancing baby.
John Roach via TCU Magazine
John Roach, former Tandy chief executive, passed away at age 83 on March 20, 2022. His wife did not release details of his death, so the cause is still unknown. While employed at Tandy in the 70s, Roach persuaded RadioShack to sell a $600 desktop microcomputer called the TRS-80 at its stores across the nation. RadioShack began selling the TRS-80 in 1977, eventually outselling other computers by 1981.
Born on November 22, 1938, in Stanford, Texas, Roach began his career at Tandy in 1967, working as a data processing manager. At this time, Tandy's sales slowed down due to declining demand. The TRS-80 provided the company with a huge sales boost. When Roach became the operating officer, Tandy owned nearly 40% of the personal computer market.
John Roach convinced RadioShack to start selling the TRS-80, which boosted company sales. (Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons)
The first TRS-80 model featured a Zilog 80 processor, 4KB DRAM, 64-character per line video monitor, and a Level 1 BASIC language interpreter. However, the keyboard only typed uppercase letters. This device was very popular among computer hobbyists and business professionals. In 1999, Roach retired from Tandy as chief executive.
Roach also served as chairman of Texas Christian University's board of trustees, doubling its endowment to over $1 billion. He even helped build a technology center and played a supporting role in Fort Worth's civic and cultural life. His friends, Paul and Judy Andrews, gifted the John V. Roach Honors College in his honor at T.C.U.
These two had such an influence on my childhood. It's a shame they've left us.