Taylor L. Booth

Born September 22, 1933, Middletown, Conn.; died October 20, 1986, Storrs, Conn.; computer science educator who established the computer department at University of Connecticut in 1959, well before most computer engineering or computer science departments, and who was the first president of the Computer Sciences Accreditation Commission.

Education: BS, electrical engineering, University of Connecticut, 1955; NIS, electrical engineering, University of Connecticut, 1956; PhD, electrical engineering, University of Connecticut, 1962.

Professional Experience: instrumentation engineer, United Aircraft, 1955-1956; systems engineer, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Baltimore, 1956-1959; University of Connecticut: research assistant and instructor, 1959-1963, assistant professor, 1963-1969, professor, 1969-1986, chairman, Computer Science and Engineering Department, 1971-1977 and 1979-1984, director, Computer Applications Research Center, 1985-1986.

Honors and Awards: Fellow, IEEE; Fortesque Fellowship, 1965; ASEE Frederick E. Terman Award, 1972; IEEE Computer Society Centennial Award 1984; IEEE Computer Society Distinguished Service Award, 1985.

Taylor Booth was a professor of computer science and engineering, and head of the department, at the University of Connecticut, deeply involved with improving computer science education through the IEEE Computer Society, in cooperation with the Association for Computing Machinery. At the time of his death he was a candidate for the presidency of the IEEE Computer Society, having served as a member of the board of governors, secretary, and vice president in the early 1980s. After his untimely death, the board of governors of the IEEE Computer Society voted to establish an annual education award in his name.

UPDATES

Portrait inserted, MRW, 2012