Administrators were able to email each other, but the faculty pushed to create a campus-wide network, which was implemented—to a limited extent—in July of 1985.

“The idea was to tie up Sever, University Hall, and the Science Center using a cable system,” says Professor of Pure and Applied Physics and former Dean of the Division of Applied Science Paul C. Martin ’52. “At the time, there was only a cable system that connected the Unix fax machines on campus.”

As personal computer use became more widespread, the University was also able to improve its technological resources.

“Harvard bought about 300 new, faster machines, so students were able to come to the technology center and not have to wait for hours to use a computer,” says Rheingans.

Harvard’s transition into a more technologically advanced age sparked a gradual change in the computing world both on and off campus.

“CS went from being a field made up of a bunch of geeks to a field where we began to see a broader mix. We saw more women in the field who were every bit as qualified as the men,” says Nesson. “It’s a field where if you were good, you could get a good job.”

Looking back on 1986, Martin recalls how his Applied Sciences committee first pondered if and how computers could be used on campus.

“I think that question has largely been answered,” he says. “Computers have become such an integral part of our lives.”

—Staff writer Charlotte D. Smith can be reached at charlottesmith@college.harvard.edu.