Herbert R. J. Grosch

Herbert R. J. Grosch was an influential American computer scientist and astronomer, best known for formulating the empirical principle known as Grosch's law. His career spanned pivotal roles at major institutions including the National Bureau of Standards, IBM, and NASA, where he contributed significantly to the early development of large-scale computing systems and the application of technology to scientific research. Grosch was a founding member of the Association for Computing Machinery and a vocal, often controversial, figure in the information technology community.

Early life and education

Herbert Reuben John Grosch was born in Detroit and developed an early interest in science. He pursued his undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan, earning a degree in astronomy. Following his service in the United States Army during World War II, Grosch continued his academic work, receiving a doctorate in astronomy from the University of Chicago in 1946. His doctoral research involved calculations related to celestial mechanics, an experience that fostered his growing fascination with the potential of automated computation.

Career and contributions

Grosch began his professional career at the National Bureau of Standards in Washington, D.C., working in the National Applied Mathematics Laboratories. In 1949, he joined IBM, where he became a key figure in the development and promotion of the IBM 701, the company's first commercial scientific computer. His work at IBM involved systems engineering, software development, and advocating for the use of computers in scientific research. In the 1960s, Grosch moved to NASA, serving as director of the Goddard Space Flight Center's computing laboratory and later as a senior official at NASA headquarters, where he oversaw the agency's electronics and computer research programs. He also held academic positions, including a professorship at the University of Waterloo in Ontario.

Grosch's law

Grosch is most famous for Grosch's law, an observation he formulated in the 1950s which stated that computer performance increased as the square of its cost. This principle, often summarized as "economy of scale is square," heavily influenced corporate and government purchasing decisions for mainframe computers for decades, favoring large, centralized systems from vendors like IBM and Control Data Corporation. While the law held broadly true during the era of vacuum tube and transistor-based mainframes, it was eventually rendered obsolete by the advent of microprocessor technology and the rise of minicomputers and personal computers from companies like Digital Equipment Corporation and Apple Inc..

Later life and legacy

After leaving NASA, Grosch worked as an independent consultant and continued to be an active, outspoken commentator on the information technology industry. He was a frequent critic of trends he viewed as inefficient, including time-sharing systems and certain software engineering practices. Grosch received several honors, including the Computer Pioneer Award from the IEEE Computer Society. He passed away in Scottsdale, Arizona in 2010. His legacy endures as a pioneer of large-scale scientific computing and as the progenitor of a foundational, if historically bounded, economic principle in computing history.

Publications

Throughout his career, Grosch authored numerous technical papers and several books. His notable publications include *Computer: Bit Slices from a Life*, an autobiographical work detailing his experiences in the early computer industry. He also wrote *The American Professional*, a study of engineering ethics, and contributed articles to journals such as *Datamation* and *Communications of the ACM*. His writings often reflected his strong, sometimes polemical, opinions on the direction of computer science and technology policy.

Category:American computer scientists Category:American astronomers Category:1918 births Category:2010 deaths