Ed Roberts -- Computer Engineer, and Medical Doctor

Invented the first personal computer (the Altair 8800) with an interface that would be accessible to people who were willing to learn a little bit of assembly (a low level programming language that is transformed into the 1’s and 0’s that computers use), Bill Gates soon after came and improved upon this invention of Roberts’ by making a programming language that is called BASIC which would allow most everyday people to use a personal computer because of how easy it is to learn in comparison to assembly.

Why would this matter? Personal computers have had a huge impact on the world with communication between others, entertainment, education in schools (even as I typed my notes for this presentation, I was using a computer that eventually came to be because of Roberts’ invention),even the internet. Up until recently, the internet was most often accessed via personal computers up until more recently with the invention of smartphones and their increasing availability, but even then, the idea of portability of technology in one’s household all stemmed from Ed Roberts’ invention of the first personal computer.

Ed Roberts weaknesses and criticisms for not being on the $3 bill are that he isn’t exactly an American hero. He did not directly contribute to the civil rights movement, nor did he do anything like fight for gender equality. To top it all off, you’ve probably never heard of him before… so why should he suddenly be placed on a piece of currency that could someday be in every US citizen’s pocket? I recommend Ed Roberts to be on the $3 bill because he contributed to America in a different way. As the USA has progressed, at least since 1975 (the year that Ed Roberts’ personal computer that could be bought by consumers), reliance on portable technology and computers has grown more and more every year. Many of America’s largest companies, most notably Apple, have made their profits based off the strive to make technology affordable, portable, and available to everyone. For someone to be so unknown and the pioneer of the technology we all operate on today is surprising.