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Happy Birthday ENIAC

Futurists predicted computers might make us less human. Instead, they have given birth to a new age of information and freedom. Happy birthday to the 30 ton beginning of it all.

Gregory Farrington
- Dean, School of Engineering & Applied Science

Peter C. Patton
- Vice Provost, Information Systems & Computing

Dear ENIAC
although you're turning 50
And your tubes are old and gray
Your I/O is outdated
And your memory's just 2K
You're still the inspiration
For the WWW and Cray
And for all the computations
That we carry out today

Gershon Buchsbaum
- Interim Chair, Bioengineering

Judith R. Eckert
- widow of J. Presper Eckert, Chief Engineer, ENIAC project

Kay Mauchly Antonelli
- widow of John Mauchly, Consulting Engineer, ENIAC project

Born half a century ago and still an infant, you have had a most profound effect on our generation. May we have the wisdom to use you in the pursuit of the goals that are the most noble in humankind.

Sohrab Rabii
- Chair, Electrical Engineering

Al Gore
- Vice President, United States of America

Judith Rodin
- President, University of Pennsylvania

Your descendants have carried us to the shores of unexpected new worlds of connection and information. Because of you, we have become pioneers, just beginning a vast transformation of how we work, create, learn, and interact with one another.

Mitch Marcus
- Chair, Computer & Information Science

Stanley Chodorow
- Provost, University of Pennsylvania

Edward G. Rendell
- Mayor of Philadelphia

Your progeny have changed research in chemical engineering and the practice of chemical engineering. May the next 50 years be as revolutionary and exciting.

Raymond Gorte
- Chair, Chemical Engineering

John A. Fry
- Executive Vice President, University of Pennsylvania

James A. Unruh
- Chairman of Unisys

From vacuum tubes and vicious conflict, to global villages and virtual toys dancing in the mind of a child. Your birth is celebrated every time your progeny are used to unite humankind in community and creativity.

Patrick T. Harker
- Chair, Systems Engineering

Herman H. Goldstine
- Liasion Officer, ENIAC project

You were conceived for the purposes of war. How wonderful to see children learning to read from your progeny.

Ira M. Cohen
- Chair, Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics