Mark Dean (computer scientist) facts for kids

Mark E. Dean (born March 2, 1957) is an American inventor and computer engineer. He helped create the original IBM personal computer in 1981. He also helped develop the ISA bus, which allowed extra parts to connect to computers.

Mark Dean led a team that made the first one-gigahertz computer processor chip. This chip was super fast! In 1995, he became the first ever African-American IBM Fellow. This is the highest technical honor at IBM.

In 2000, Mark Dean joined the National Academy of Engineering. This was for his amazing work in making personal computers better. He also talked about a handheld device that could show digital newspapers. Today, he uses a tablet computer instead of a regular PC.

Mark Dean's Early Life

Mark Dean was born in Jefferson City, Tennessee. From a young age, he loved technology and inventing things. His dad, James, worked with electrical equipment. He often took Mark with him to work. This helped Mark learn about engineering.

When Mark was young, he and his dad built a tractor from scratch. In middle school, Mark decided he wanted to be a computer engineer. He went to Jefferson City High School. There, he was great at both schoolwork and sports. In the 1970s, while still in high school, Mark even built his own personal computer!

Awards and Recognition

Mark Dean was the first African-American to become an IBM Fellow. This is a very high honor at the IBM company. It shows he reached the top level of technical skill.

In 1997, he was added to the National Inventors Hall of Fame. This means his inventions are recognized as very important. He also joined the National Academy of Engineering in 2001. In 1997, he won the Black Engineer of the Year Presidents Award.

From 2018 to 2019, Mark Dean was a temporary dean at the University of Tennessee's engineering college. Also, April 25 is now officially Mark Dean Day in Knox County, Tennessee. This special day started on April 26, 2019.

Mark Dean's Career

Mark finished his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1979. Soon after, he started working at IBM as an engineer. His first job there was to create a special part for IBM's Datamaster terminal.

During this time, he also created the ISA bus. This invention allowed other parts to be connected to a PC. Because of his great work, he was promoted in 1982. He became the chief engineer for PC design. He worked with a team to develop the first IBM PC. In the same year, Mark also earned his master's degree.

Seventeen years later, in 1999, Mark and his team made history. They developed the world's first gigahertz microchip. This was a huge step forward in computer speed.

Mark Dean became an IBM Vice President. He oversaw the company's Almaden Research Center in San Jose, California. At one point, he was also the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for IBM in the Middle East and Africa.

He retired from IBM in 2013. After that, he became a professor at the University of Tennessee. Mark Dean is now the John Fisher Distinguished Professor there. He teaches in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Today, Mark Dean holds more than 20 patents. His work also helped create the color PC monitor that we use today.