Ivan Sutherland (born 1938) is an American computer scientist known as the “father of computer graphics.” His Sketchpad program pioneered interactive graphics, and his later work established virtual reality as a field.
Sketchpad
For his 1963 PhD thesis at MIT, Sutherland created Sketchpad on the TX-2 computer. Users could draw shapes on a screen using a light pen, constrain their relationships, and manipulate them interactively. The thesis is considered one of the most influential in computer science history.
Virtual Reality Pioneer
In 1968, Sutherland created the “Sword of Damocles”—the first head-mounted display system. Though primitive by modern standards, it established concepts fundamental to VR: head tracking, stereoscopic display, and immersive environments.
Academic Influence
Sutherland taught at Harvard, Utah, and later Caltech. His students went on to found influential companies (Adobe, Silicon Graphics, Pixar) and advance computer graphics.
Recognition
Sutherland received the Turing Award in 1988 for Sketchpad and the Kyoto Prize in 2012. His work established interactive computer graphics as a field and anticipated object-oriented programming, GUI design, and virtual reality.