Wikipedia

Kathryn Strutynski

Kathryn Betty Strutynski(néeLatimer) (5 February 1931 – 9 April 2010) was amathematicianandcomputer scientist,and attended University atBrigham Young Universityand theNaval Postgraduate School.Besides jobs atPan Am AirwaysandBechtel Corporation,she worked atDigital Research,where she contributed to the development ofCP/M,the first mainstreamoperating systemformicrocomputers.

Kathryn Strutynski
Born(1931-02-05)5 February 1931
Nephi,Utah,US
Died9 April 2010(2010-04-09)(aged 79)
Calgary, Canada
Resting placeNephi, Utah, USA[1]
Alma materBrigham Young University,
Naval Postgraduate School
SpouseAlfred Waldemar Strutynski
ChildrenKaren StrutynskinéeStrutynski

Early life and education

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Kathryn Betty Latimer was born on 5 February 1931[2]inNephi,Utah,USA. Her father was Andrew Hans Latimer and her mother Henrietta Norton.[1][3]

Latimer obtained an undergraduate degree in mathematics fromBrigham Young Universityin 1953,[4]and taught high school mathematics in Utah for two years.

Career

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In the early 1950s, she moved to San Francisco, where she worked atPan Am Airwaysdoing research. Kathy eventually became responsible for all thecharterbidsat the Western Division of Pan Am. When Pan Am consolidated its offices in New York Latimer was the only woman to be offered moving expenses to relocate to New York, but she declined the offer.

After Pan Am, Kathryn Latimer worked atMcGraw-Hill[5]and the estimating department ofBechtel Corporation.[5]When the company decided to purchase amainframe computer,Latimer was sent to take every class given at IBM. In 1952 and 1953, she built the company's first database retrieval system, with 10 engineers working under her charge, renting computer time since they did not have a mainframe computer at that time. The database was used for a period of ten years.[5]In 1958, she married Alfred Waldemar Strutynski.

Kathryn Strutynski's husband moved to Monterey, California to work for the County of Monterey as an auditor. The couple lived inCarmel Village,where she worked at theNaval Postgraduate School(NPS) since 1967[4][6]and completed amaster's degreeprogram incomputer programmingat the same time. Strutynski was given system responsibility for theVM operating systemat the NPS.[5]At the same time,Gary Kildallalso taught at the NPS[4]and was interested in operating systems. They became friends,[7]studied and made unofficial changes to theIBM VM-360and370.[4][8][9]

Digital Research

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Main article:Digital Research

Kathryn Strutynski left NPS[10]and, in 1978[8]/1979,[11][6]became the fourth employee ofDigital Research, Inc.[11][12]She adapted CP/M-80 for theApple II[5][13][citation needed]and worked on CP/M 2.0,[7]CP/M 2.2,[14][15][12]CP/M Plus,[16][14][15]and DESPOOL, a background spooler for printing (utilizing simple multi-tasking)[17]as well as on the system guides. She also was the project manager forCP/M-86,[14][15][12]Concurrent CP/M-86[12]andConcurrent PC DOS.[18]

Around 1985, Strutynski returned to work for NPS at theW. R. Church Computer Center,[19]where she raised the PC lab[19]and taughtMS-DOSandWordPerfectcourses[20]as Manager of Microcomputing Support[21]and Learning Resource Centers.[22]

In her later years she ranStrutynski Associatesin Carmel.[23]

Personal life

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Kathryn Latimer met Alfred Waldemar Strutynski in a Germandance hall.They married in 1958 and moved to Carmel since her husband had started working for Monterey County as an auditor. She worked for theNaval Postgraduate Schoolin Monterey and later at Digital Research.[24]

Death

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Kathryn Strutynski died on 9 April 2010 at her daughter's home inCalgarywhile she was 79. Her husband died two days later.[25][24]

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Harold Evanswrote about her in his bookThey Made America(2004).[26]For the reworked paperback issue (2006), Strutynski spent many hours working with Evans updating the chapter of his book related to the birth of CP/M.[5][12][27]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ab"Kathryn Betty Latimer".ancestors.familysearch.org(Obituary). 2010.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-08-10.Retrieved2021-08-14.5 February 1931–9 April 2010 (Age 79) Nephi, Juab, Utah, United States […] When Kathryn Betty Latimer was born on 5 February 1931, in Nephi, Juab, Utah, United States, her father [Andrew Hans Latimer, was 39] and her mother, Henriette Norton, was 35. She married Alfred Waldemar Strutynski in 1958. She lived in Nephi Election Precinct, Juab, Utah, United States in 1940 and Utah, United States in 2010. She died on 9 April 2010, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, at the age of 79, and was buried in Vine Bluff Cemetery, Nephi, Juab, Utah, United States. […]
  2. ^"Birthdays"(PDF).Digital Dialogue- Employee Newsletter of Digital Research Inc.Vol. 2, no. 1.Digital Research.January 1993. p. 2.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2021-08-15.Retrieved2021-08-15.[…] Feb. 5 Kathy Strutynski […](4 pages)
  3. ^"James Latimer Jr".ancestors.familysearch.org.2021-10-29.Retrieved2021-10-29.[…] 9th Child: Andrew Hans Latimer […] Birth: 7 Oct 1891 […] Place: Nephi, Juab, Utah […] Married to: Henrietta Norton […] Married: 1 May 1918 […] Place: Manti Temple, Manti, Utah […] Died: 10 Oct 1962 […]
  4. ^abcdSchool (u. s. ), Naval Postgraduate (1978). "W. R. Church Computer Center; Department of Computer Science".Catalog 1978–1979.Monterey, California, USA:Naval Postgraduate School.pp. 19–20, 108, 119.hdl:10945/31676.US Government Printing Office 794-398-1978. ark:/13960/t68359r3w.Retrieved2021-08-14.pp. 19, 108:[…]W. R. Church Computer Center[…] Kathryn Bethy Strutynski (1967); B.S., Brigham Young Univ., 1953. […] Department of Computer Science […]Gary Arlen Kildall,Associate Professor of Computer Science and Mathematics (1972); B.S. Univ. of Washington, 1967; M.S., 1968; Ph.D., 1972. […](224+4 pages)
  5. ^abcdefgStrutynski, Kathryn(May 2009)."Kathy Strutynski and Computing and NPS"(PDF).NPS History: Centennial. Centennial Celebration 2009–2010.Naval Postgraduate School.hdl:10945/45665.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2021-08-17. pp. 1–2:[…]Harold Evans(et al) put together a book calledThey Made Americathat has a lot to say aboutGary Kildalland other pioneers of computing. As Kathy tells it, he had written afirstedition, but discovered that it was full of mistakes – so he came to a conference atAsilomarwith the thought particularly in mind that he would look up Kathy and get the straight scoop. […] Another of Kathy's projects in those days at NPS wasInterp.It was a system running on the mainframe, underVM,which would allow you to simulate systems written for PC's. You could work out the bugs using Interp on the mainframe, and then know it would work on the PC. Getting Interp running well was a challenge; Kathy was grateful to have capable NPS grad students working with her. […] ForDigital Research,Kathy madeCP/M(Gary's PC operating system) work on theApplecomputer of that time. Credit went to others, but their efforts did not actually work; Kathy got it finally to work. […][1](2 pages)
  6. ^ab"Staff Notes"(PDF).Computer Center Newsletter.Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive: DSpace Repository; Information Technology and Communication Services (ITACS) Computer Facility Newsletter, 1968–1999. Vol. 12, no. 1. Monterey, California, USA:Naval Postgraduate School,Dudley Knox Library. 1980-01-21. p. 6.hdl:10945/57186.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2021-08-17.Retrieved2021-08-17.p. 6:[…] Kathryn Strutynski, who had been a member of our systems programming staff since 1967, resigned recently. Kathryn will be working forDigital Researchin Pacific Grove on software for microprocessors. Digital Research was formed, and is run, byGary Kildall,ex-Professor of Computer Science at the School. The Center will miss her enthusiasm and skills, and we wish her every success in the future. […](1+6 pages)
  7. ^abKildall, Gary Arlen(2016-08-02) [1993].Kildall, Scott;Kildall, Kristin (eds.).Computer Connections: People, Places, and Events in the Evolution of the Personal Computer Industry(Manuscript, part 1). Kildall Family.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2016-11-17.Retrieved2016-11-17.p. 32:[…] Ok, so first you make friends with the computer operator atNPS's Computer Center. Then, make friends with the systems programmers. I met a nice lady, an astute programmer, Kathy Strutynski, who was later instrumental in programming upgrades toCP/M,and with relationships betweenMicrosoftandDRImany years later. […](1+2+78 pages) (NB. Part 2 not released due to family privacy reasons.)
  8. ^abStrutynski, Kathryn(2006-02-12)."hiring".Retrieved2021-08-16– viaComputer History Museum.I was good friends withGaryat theNaval Postgraduate School.We made unauthorized changed to theIBMVM-360and370system code. IBM never let us see the code again. One day at the school, Gary came into my office and asked if I had seen him. That was a very strange question. I soon learned that he had been wandering around all day probably thinking about some new algorithm and he did not know where he had left hispunched cards.At this time the cards were his only important possession. Gary didn't talk to me about working for him. He just came into my office, picked up my briefcase. This was a common occurrence. He walked me to my car and said: "I can afford you." We never discussed when or how much.(1 page) (NB. Discusses the informal way Gary Kildall hired Strutynski and her role in developing some of significant Digital Research Products.)
  9. ^Strutynski, Kathryn(2006-05-19). Selmeier, Bill (ed.)."Kathy Strutynski Early Life".Computer History Museum(Video).CHM Catalog Number102762827.ITCHP446f95d245858. Lot X7847.2017.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-08-10.Retrieved2021-08-10.[3:31] (NB. Strutynski tells of her youth in Utah, attending BYU, coming to San Francisco to work for Pan American Airlines, and then Bechtel.)
  10. ^Elliott, Mack Taylor (September 1978). "Acknowledgements; Initial Distribution List".High Speed Data Acquisition System(Thesis). Monterey, California, USA:Naval Postgraduate School.pp. 9, 191. T185389 ark:/13960/t6d25kt2h.Retrieved2021-08-14.pp. 9, 191:[…] Kathryn Strutynski of theW. R. Church Computer Centerfurnished untiring assistance with technical problems and programming. […] Kathryn Strutynski, Code 0141 W. R. Church Computer Center Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, California 93940 […](191 pages)
  11. ^ab"DRI Personnel Report by Hiring Date"(PDF).Digital Research.c. 1981.CHM Catalog Number102770767.ITCHP44203e0563f13. Lot X3516.2006.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2021-08-16.Retrieved2021-08-16– viaComputer History Museum.[…] Strutynski, Kathy 02/01/79 […](1 page) (NB. Listing of the first 39 DRI employees listed by date of hire. According to this list, Strutynski was hired about two months beforeThomas Alan Rolander,who is often considered to have been DRI's first employee, although John R. Pierce was.)
  12. ^abcde"Kathryn Betty Strutynski".Monterey Herald(Obituary). 2010-06-19.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-08-14.Retrieved2021-08-10– viaLegacy.[…] 79 - Kathryn Betty Strutynski, a long-time resident of Carmel, passed away on April 9, 2010, at the home of her daughter, Karen. Born in Nephi, Utah, she attendedBrigham Young Universitywhere she obtained an undergraduate degree in mathematics. In her early 20's, Kathryn moved to San Francisco, where she went to work forPan AmAirways. Here, she was responsible for all charter bids at the Western Division of Pan Am. When Pan Am consolidated its offices in New York, Kathryn was the only female employee offered moving expenses to relocate […] However, Kathryn decided to stay in her beloved San Francisco. Kathryn then went to work at the estimating department ofBechtel Corporationin San Francisco. Bechtel sent her to every class given at IBM when the company decided to purchase a mainframe. With her new knowledge, Kathryn ended up building the company's first database retrieval system. Bechtel kept her database system for ten years. In 1958, Kathryn married an Austrian, Alfred Strutynski, and they moved to Carmel. While living on the Peninsula, Kathryn worked for theNaval Postgraduate Schoolin Monterey and obtained her master's degree in computer programming through the school. At NPS, Kathryn was given system responsibility for theVM operating system.Because of this, a Navy professor by the name ofGary Kildall,who was very interested in all operating systems, developed a deepfriendship with Kathryn. The two of them made unauthorized changes to theIBMVM-360and370system code. IBM never let them see the code again. A few years later, Kathryn left NPS, when in her words, "Gary walked into my office, picked up my briefcase, and said, 'I can afford you.'" She then became the fourth employee of Gary's company,Digital Research Inc.At DRI, Kathryn watched excitedly as Gary completed work on the first computer operating system known asCP/Mor Control Program for Microcomputers. The foundations of this operating system were later to become the basis for bothQDOSandMS/DOS.The computer company, IBM, was very excited by the possibilities of this new operating system and tried to bargain with DRI to sell it this new product. When Gary became hesitant to sell CP/M to IBM, it was Kathryn who was called late one evening at home byBill GatesofMicrosoft Corp.and asked to intercede with Gary. However, the sale was not to be, and the rest, as they say, is history. Kathryn stayed on at DRI and continued to write code for new versions of CP/M. She worked on CP/M 2.0 and [CP/M Plus]. She made many contributions toCP/M 2.2(the largest money spinner for DRI) including a background spooler for printing (simple multi-tasking) and system guides. In fact, in one book, Kathryn is called "the mother of CP/M 2.2," for the hundreds and hundreds of hours she put in with Dave Brown, John Pierce, Bob Silberst[ei]n, and others, perfecting Kildall's original design. Kathryn was also the project manager forCP/M-86andConcurrent CP/M-86.While at DRI, Kathryn gave seminars on hardware implementation in Brussels, Wokingham, England, and Munich, Germany. One of Kathryn's biggest thrills in later life was meeting the author SirHarold Evanswhile he was re-writing parts ofhis book,"They Made America," for the release of itspaperback version.Kathryn spent many long hours working with Sir Harold Evans updating the chapter of his book relating to the birth of CP/M and her beloved Gary Kildall's contributions to the field of computing. […][2]
  13. ^CP/M Gold Card.Digital Research.c. 1984. MPN 8934-0.CHM Catalog Number102645991.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-08-16.Retrieved2021-08-16– viaComputer History Museum.(NB. Digital Research's CP/M Gold Card was aZ80coprocessor card for the Apple II with 64 or 192 KB of RAM. It came with CP/M Pro 3.0, CBASIC and other development tools.)
  14. ^abcvan Andel, H.;Strutynski, Kathryn(March 1983)."CP/M Plus: Nieuwe versie van CP/M verhoogt micro-prestaties"(PDF).Softwarekronkels.Databus - maandblad voor microcomputer-techniek(in Dutch). Vol. 1983, no. 3. Deventer, Netherlands:Kluwer Technische Tijdschriften BV.pp. 11–13, 15 [11].ISSN0167-1340.CHM Catalog Number102770801.ITCHP4470ecbc538a0. Lot X3705.2007.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2021-08-16.Retrieved2021-08-16.(4 pages) (NB. Written after Strutynski gave a talk in the Netherlands.)
  15. ^abcBrown, David K.;Strutynski, Kathryn;Wharton, John Harrison(1983-05-14)."Tweaking more performance from an operating system - Hashing, caching, and memory blocking are just a few of the techniques used to punch up performance in the latest version of CP/M".System Design/Software.Computer Design - The Magazine of Computer Based Systems.Vol. 22, no. 6. Littleton, Massachusetts, USA:PennWell Publications/PennWell Publishing Company.pp.193–194, 196, 198, 200, 202, 204.ISSN0010-4566.OCLC1564597.CODENCMPDA.ark:/13960/t3hz07m4t.Retrieved2021-08-14.p. 193:[…] Kathryn Strutynski manages 8-bit operating systems software development atDigital Research.Ms Strutynski was project manager forCP/M 2.2,CP/M-86,andCP/M Plus.She has an MS in computer science from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey. […](7 pages)
  16. ^"Operating Systems SBC".Digital Dialogue- Employee Newsletter of Digital Research Inc.Vol. 1, no. 5.Digital Research.December 1982. pp. 1, 7 [7].Archivedfrom the original on 2021-08-15.Retrieved2021-08-15.p. 7:[…] CP/M Plus Project Leader Kathy Strutynski discusses marketing tactics with Hal Elgie […](8 pages)
  17. ^DESPOOL Background Print Utility - Operator's Guide(PDF).Pacific Grove, California, USA:Digital Research.1979.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2021-08-15.Retrieved2021-08-15.(2+8+2 pages)
  18. ^Forbes, Jim (1985-11-04)."DRI Alters Its Stalled Concurrent DOS System".News.InfoWorld- The Newsweekly for the Microcomputing Community.Vol. 7, no. 44. Menlo Park, California, USA:CW Communications, Inc.p. 20.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-08-15.Retrieved2021-08-15.p. 20:[…] Kathy Strutynski, product marketing manager for DRI's Concurrent [PC DOS] […]
  19. ^abLamont, Steve (May 2009)."Steve Lamont"(PDF)(interview). Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive: DSpace Repository; History of Naval Postgraduate School - Centennial Celebration, 2009–2010. Monterey, California, USA:Naval Postgraduate School,Dudley Knox Library.hdl:10945/45670.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2021-08-17.Retrieved2021-08-17.[…] Did you do more of the setting up, or was it more Kathy Strutynski? […] I don't think I can take any credit. I did some initial experimentation with local area net-working but didn't have time to actually complete a production system before I left. I think you can accurately credit Ms. Strutynski with the PC lab. She arrived after I left and probably spent a while cleaning up my mess. […](1+6 pages)
  20. ^Harvey, Neil;Strutynski, Kathryn(1987-07-02)."Summer Quarter Talks - MS-DOS Topics: In-119 and In-151 / Introduction to WordPerfect: In-151; Micro News"(PDF).Announcements.Computer and Information Services Bulletin.Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive - Information Technology and Communication Services (ITACS) Computer Center Bulletin. Monterey, California, USA:Naval Postgraduate School,Dudley Knox Library. pp. 2–5 [4–5].hdl:10945/52509.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2021-08-10.Retrieved2021-08-14.(1+8 pages)
  21. ^"Information: Computer Center Points of Contact"(PDF).Computer and Information Services Bulletin.Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive - Information Technology and Communication Services (ITACS) Computer Center Bulletin. Monterey, California, USA:Naval Postgraduate School,Dudley Knox Library. 1993-01-04 [1992-01-04]. p. 13.hdl:10945/52575.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2021-08-10.Retrieved2021-08-14.p. 13:[…] Manager, Microcomputing Support […] Kathryn Strutynski […] Room In-111 Ext. 2696 […](1+13 pages)
  22. ^"Computing Services POC"(PDF).Computer and Information Services Bulletin.Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive - Information Technology and Communication Services (ITACS) Computer Center Bulletin. Monterey, California, USA:Naval Postgraduate School,Dudley Knox Library. 1995-11-08. p. 9.hdl:10945/52600.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2019-04-13.Retrieved2021-08-14.p. 9:[…] Manager, Learning Resource Centers […] Kathryn Strutynski GL-375kstrutynski[…] 2696 […](1+10 pages)
  23. ^Rossini, Brian (2021)."Brian Rossini - Sr. Product Manager, Smart Glasses".LinkedIn.Retrieved2021-08-15.Strutynski Associates Carmel, CA […] Personally mentored by Kathy Strutynski: Kathy wrote what was renamed DOS Operating System (without permission) while working atDigital Research,withGary Kildall.Co-inventor of magnetic disc writing process, also with Gary. […] Kathy was a joy to work with, indoctrinating one lucky student every 3–4 years out of high school into tech via a paid part-time internship, then part time employment. […]
  24. ^ab"Alfred Waldemar Strutynski".ancestors.familysearch.org(Obituary). 2010.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-08-10.19 September 1919–11 April 2010 (Age 90) Czernowitz, Bukowina, Austria
  25. ^"Alfred Waldemar Strutynski".Monterey Herald(Obituary). 2010-06-19.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-08-14.Retrieved2021-08-14– viaLegacy.
  26. ^Evans, Harold;Buckland, Gail;Lefer, David(2004). "III. The Digital Age: Gary Kildall - He saw the future and made it work. He was the true founder of the personal computer revolution and the father of PC Software".They Made America: From the Steam Engine to the Search Engine: Two Centuries of Innovators(1 ed.). New York, USA:Little, Brown and Company,Time Warner Book Group.pp. 402–417 [414].ISBN0-316-27766-5.LCCN2003065954.p. 414:[…] Jacqui Morby agrees. "We could have won the first look and feel case and held upIBM."She recalls that the new board was not aware that during this period, while IBM andGateskept very quiet,Microsoft'sSteve Bal[l]merwas nevertheless continually on the telephone to DRI's project manager, Kathy Strutynski, asking for guidance on the internal engineering of the CP/M operating system. "That was pure thievery." […](2+1+496+2 pages) (NB. A correctedrevisionwas released as paperback in 2006.)
  27. ^Evans, Harold;Buckland, Gail;Lefer, David(2006).They Made America: From the Steam Engine to the Search Engine: Two Centuries of Innovators(revised paperback ed.). USA:Back Bay Books.ISBN0-316-01385-4.(692 pages) (NB. This paperback is a corrected revision of the original2004 hardback edition.There is a 2014 revision of this book, which, in a chapter "Vindication for Kildall"[3],also discussed the outcome of the 2005–2007Tim Patersonv.Harold Evanslaw suit and theIEEE 2013 Diamond Entrepreneurial Excellence AwardforKildall.)

Further reading

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