OR

source:wikipedia.org
24 Apr, 1945
16 Feb, 2020
Unknown
American
Computer society
74
Larry Tesler was born on April 24, 1945, in New York City. His interest in mathematics and logic began early, and during his teenage years, he became fascinated with computers. This early exposure led him to pursue computer science at Stanford University, setting the stage for his future innovations.
Tesler attended Stanford University, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in computer science in 1965. In 1966, he joined the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (SAIL) and contributed to the development of ARPANET, one of the earliest networked computer systems. His work at SAIL laid the groundwork for his future contributions to human-computer interaction.
In the 1970s, Tesler worked at Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), where he played a key role in developing the Xerox Alto, the first personal computer with a graphical user interface (GUI). His innovative design of icons, menus, and windows made computers more intuitive and accessible for everyday users.
One of Tesler’s most impactful contributions was the creation of the “cut,” “copy,” and “paste” commands. These commands simplified text manipulation and became fundamental tools in modern computing, forever changing how users interact with text across various platforms.
Tesler held key roles at Apple, where he contributed to the development of the Lisa computer and the Macintosh. His work helped refine Apple’s GUI, making it even more user-friendly and reinforcing his commitment to improving human-computer interaction.
Throughout his career, Tesler was a strong advocate for making computing accessible to the masses. He believed in simplifying complex systems so that even non-technical users could benefit from the power of computers. His philosophy of user-centric design guided much of his work.
Tesler was known for his humility, passion, and belief in collaborative teamwork. His dedication to fostering a positive work environment and creating intuitive user experiences defined his professional ethos. Tesler’s influence extended beyond his technical achievements, earning him admiration from peers and colleagues.
Tesler’s contributions to computing earned him numerous accolades. He received the British Computer Society’s Lovelace Medal in 1997 and the ACM CHI Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005, recognizing his profound impact on human-computer interaction.
Larry Tesler passed away on February 16, 2020, but his legacy lives on. His pioneering work in GUI design and the creation of cut, copy, and paste commands continue to shape the way people interact with computers, making technology more accessible and intuitive for users around the world.
Larry Tesler
Larry Tesler
Male
Unknown
The Bronx, New York City, U.S.A
Portola Valley, California, U.S.A
Advocate: Quite and mystical, yet very inspiring and tireless idealists. He was always willing to do hard work to achieve his ideals.
He was involved in development of the “first” commercial “graphical user interfaces” (GUI), that laid the foundation for the modern computer environment.
Larry Tesler is the namesake of "Tesler's Law," which states, "For any system, there is a certain amount of complexity that cannot be reduced."
Tesler is known for his work at Xerox PARC, Apple, Amazon and Yahoo.
He also introduced modless computer interfaces
Introduced cut/copy-paste command