Robert M. Frankston (born June 14, 1949) is an American software engineer and businessman who co-created, with

Dan Bricklin Daniel Singer Bricklin (born July 16, 1951) is an American businessman and engineer who is the co-creator, with Bob Frankston, of VisiCalc, the first spreadsheet program. He also founded Software Garden, Inc., of which he is currently president, ...

, the

VisiCalc VisiCalc ("visible calculator") is the first spreadsheet computer program for personal computers, originally released for the Apple II by VisiCorp on October 17, 1979. It is considered the killer application for the Apple II, turning the microco ...

spreadsheet program. Frankston is also the co-founder of

Software Arts Software Arts was a software company founded by Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston in 1979 to develop VisiCalc, which was published by a separate company, Personal Software Inc., later named VisiCorp. Software Arts also developed TK!Solver, a nume ...

Early life and education

Frankston was born and raised in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

. He graduated from

Stuyvesant High School Stuyvesant High School ( ) is a co-ed, State school, public, college-preparatory, Specialized high schools in New York City, specialized high school in Manhattan, New York City. The school, commonly called "Stuy" ( ) by its students, faculty, a ...

in New York City in 1966. He earned a S.B degree in computer science and mathematics from the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

, followed by a Master of Engineering degree in computer science, also from MIT.

Career

Following his work with Dan Bricklin, Frankston later worked at

Lotus Development Corporation Lotus Software (called Lotus Development Corporation before its acquisition by IBM) was an American software company based in Massachusetts; it was sold to India's HCL Technologies in 2018. Lotus is most commonly known for the Lotus 1-2-3 sprea ...

and

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...

. Frankston became an outspoken advocate for reducing the role of telecommunications companies in the evolution of the Internet, particularly with respect to broadband and mobile communications. He coined the term "Regulatorium" to describe what he considers collusion between telecommunication companies and their regulators that prevents change.

Awards and recognition

Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned or professional societies, the term refers ...

(1994) "for the invention of VisiCalc, a new metaphor for data manipulation that galvanized the personal computing industry" * MIT William L. Stewart Award for co-founding the M.I.T.

Student Information Processing Board The Student Information Processing Board (SIPB) is a student group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that helps students access computing resources and use them effectively. History SIPB was founded in 1969 by Bob Frankston, Gary ...

(SIPB). * The Association for Computing Machinery Software System Award (1985) * The MIT LCS Industrial Achievement Award * The Washington Award (2001) from the

Western Society of Engineers The Western Society of Engineers is a professional and educational organization founded in Chicago, Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its ...

(with Bricklin) * In 2004, he was made a Fellow of the

Computer History Museum The Computer History Museum (CHM) is a computer museum in Mountain View, California. The museum presents stories and artifacts of Silicon Valley and the Information Age, and explores the Digital Revolution, computing revolution and its impact ...

"for advancing the utility of personal computers by developing the VisiCalc electronic spreadsheet."

References

External links

Bob Frankston's site/blogBiographical article
from ''Smart Computing'' * {{DEFAULTSORT:Frankston, Bob Stuyvesant High School alumni 1949 births Living people Businesspeople from Brooklyn 1994 fellows of the Association for Computing Machinery People from Arlington, Massachusetts