David J. Farber
Farber helped connect technical network research with education and public policy, shaping institutions and infrastructure that made large-scale networked computing possible.
David J. Farber was an American computer scientist and professor whose career included programming languages, computer communications, research networks, and internet policy. The University of Pennsylvania credits him with work on early distributed systems and with leadership around CSNET, NSFNET, and high-speed networking initiatives.
Network-building legacy
Farber’s career illustrates how standards, research networks, and public institutions jointly formed the internet. He also served as the U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s Chief Technologist from 2000 to 2001.
In memoriam
Farber died in 2026. His work remains part of the technical and civic history of networked computing.
Timeline
- 1934Born in the United States.
- 1960sWorks at Bell Laboratories and later RAND.
- 1970sHelps lead work on an operational distributed computer system.
- 1980sContributes to organizing CSNET and NSFNET.
- 2000Serves as FCC Chief Technologist.
- 2026Dies; Penn publishes a tribute to his career.
David J. Farber
- Type
- Person
- Era
- 1960s-2026
- Born
- 1934
- Died
- 2026
- Known for
- Computer communications; CSNET and NSFNET; Gigabit Network Testbed Initiative
- Tags
- computer-networking, internet-history, research-networks, academic-research, public-policy
Created by Joas A Santos · Something wrong or want it removed? Open an issue.