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Ben Gurley (December 23, 1926 – November 7, 1963) was an important figure in the history of computing. At MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Gurley designed the cathode-ray tube display and light pen of the TX-0, a pioneering minicomputer. In 1959 Gurley left Lincoln Labs for Digital Equipment Corporation; he was the designer of DEC's first computer, the PDP-1.

Gurley died of a gunshot fired through a window in his home while eating dinner with his family. A former co-worker from DEC was convicted of the crime. This incident inspired acquaintance and author John Updike to write his popular novel "The Music School".

References

1. Ceruzzi, Paul E. (2003). History of Modern Computing, 2e. MIT Press. ISBN 9780262532037.
2. "Computer History Museum - Restoring the DEC PDP-1 Computer Exhibit". Archived from the original on May 21, 2013. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
3. "PDP-1 – Complete History of the DEC PDP-1 Computer".
4. ^ Gardner, W. David (13 February 2009). "Updike's Passing Recalls Brush With Murdered Computer Designer". InformationWeek. Retrieved 2023-07-06.

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