In Memoriam: John Staudhammer

Readers Digest contains more than abridged stories. The “My Most Unforgettable Character” feature articles highlight people who affected others in a most positive manner. Computer graphics has a wonderful cast of unforgettable characters who founded the eld in the 1960s and 1970s. John Staudhammer, who died in February 2017, is one of those unforgettable characters. He profoundly in uenced computer graphics technology, people, and me. John did so in an unconventional manner. Born in 1932, he emigrated to the United States in 1949 after eeing his native Hungary in 1944 to escape the advancing Russian army. He later earned a BS, MS, and PhD in engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles. While teaching at North Carolina State University (NCSU) and the University of Florida during the 1970s and 1980s, John’s mantra was, “Take a chance on unorthodox students.” Their background mattered less than showing an interest in advanced computer graphics technology. He believed that his most important product was highly quali ed students who built superb new technology in spite of funding levels. John once wrote,