[Asis-l] Karen Sparck Jones

[Richard Hill]

Professor Roger Needham, 1935-2003    [dateline 4 March 2003 ]
    Cambridge lost one of its most outstanding scientists this week with 
the death of Professor Roger Needham CBE FREng FRS. He died peacefully at 
his home on the evening of Friday 28 February, after a valiant struggle 
with illness.

Roger's most recent achievement, the creation of Microsoft's Research 
Laboratory in Cambridge in 1997, followed a long and distinguished career 
with the University of Cambridge, unbroken since his undergraduate days 
here in the 1950s. Computer science was in its infancy when Roger became 
involved in the late 1950s and he made a major contribution to the way that 
the discipline developed over the subsequent decades.

Roger Needham was born in 1935, educated at Doncaster Grammar School and 
won a scholarship to the University of Cambridge to study mathematics. 
Roger graduated from Cambridge in Mathematics and Philosophy in 1956, and 
then took the Diploma in Numerical Analysis and Automatic Computing in 1957.

Roger married Karen Sparck Jones in 1958 when both were studying for PhD's. 
They took up the challenge of building their own home, spending two years 
balancing the requirements of PhD study and the building project. Roger 
completed his PhD at Cambridge on the application of digital computers to 
problems of classification and grouping in 1961 and joined the Mathematical 
Laboratory, now known as the Computer Laboratory in 1962.

Over the next 20 years Roger championed Cambridge projects in operating 
systems, time sharing systems, memory protection, local area networks and 
distributed systems involving satellites. He spent about five to six weeks 
per year in Silicon Valley between 1977 and 1997.

In 1980 he became Head of the Computer Laboratory at Cambridge, a position 
he held until 1995. During this period he was made a Professor in 1981, 
elected to the Royal Society in 1985 and the Royal Academy of Engineering 
in 1993. He was appointed Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge from 1996 to 
1998 and awarded CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list of 2001. When 
asked about his greatest challenge, Roger admitted that being Head of the 
Computer Lab for 15 years was certainly an interesting experience.

Roger was a Fellow of Wolfson College for 35 years, playing a crucial role 
in the College's development. He was also a significant benefactor.

Professor Ian Leslie, current Head of the University's Computer Laboratory 
said:

"Roger was foremost an engineer, a builder of systems. However, he 
understood the need for solid theoretical foundations and made significant 
contributions to the theory of secure protocols. He had a broad vision of 
what computer science is, a vision which still defines the current shape of 
the Laboratory."
Roger also made significant contributions to the wider academic community 
in the UK, serving on numerous national committees, including the Alvey 
Committee, the University Grants Committee and the Computing Science 
Committee, forerunner of EPSRC.

He was also a citizen of the broader Cambridge. He was not just a 
University person, but one of the local community, interested in the 
welfare of the Town as well as that of the scholars. He entered public 
service as a Parish Councillor in the 1960s and subsequently served as a 
South Cambridgeshire District Councillor until the 1980s.

In 1997 Professor Needham agreed to start up the Microsoft Research 
Laboratory in Cambridge. This move into industry at the age of 62 was a 
bold step, one that epitomised the man. He was conspicuously successful in 
establishing a vibrant research organisation for Microsoft, bringing talent 
from all over the world to Cambridge.

Professor Roger Needham made an outstanding contribution to computer 
science for over 40 years in this country, an achievement that is 
recognised by all who have had the good fortune to work with him.

Professor Sir Alec Broers, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge said:

"Roger's contribution to the University over the years is incalculable. 
 From his days as an undergraduate in the 1950s, to his early days at the 
Mathematical Laboratory in the 1960s, his ground-breaking research of the 
1970s and 80s, his stewardship of the Computer Laboratory from 1980 to 1995 
and his work as Pro-Vice-Chancellor from 1996 to 1998, Roger demonstrated a 
deep commitment to learning and teaching; it is a commitment that we are 
immensely grateful for.
"His death is a sad loss to Cambridge and we offer our profound sympathy to 
his wife Karen at this distressing time."


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