Donald Bitzer

Life and career

Donald Lester Bitzer was born in East St. Louis, Illinois, on January 1, 1934. He grew up in Collinsville, Illinois. Bitzer received three degrees in electrical engineering (B.S., 1955; M.S., 1956; Ph.D., 1960) from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Bitzer held several patents in numerous areas, while the PLATO computer system, the first system to combine graphics and touchscreens, is the most famous of his inventions.

Bitzer co-invented the flat plasma display panel in 1964.

In 1974, Bitzer was elected as a member into the National Academy of Engineering for "his leadership in the utilization and development of technology for improving the effectiveness of education".

From 1989, Bitzer was a Distinguished University Research Professor of Computer Science at North Carolina State University.

Bitzer was married to Maryann Drost, a nurse and educator, from 1955 until her death in 2022 and had a son, along with three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He died of congestive heart failure at home in Cary, North Carolina, on December 10, 2024, at the age of 90.

Awards

In 1973, the National Academy of Engineering presented Bitzer with the Vladimir K. Zworykin Award, which honors the inventor of the iconoscope.

Bitzer was a designated National Associate, an honor which was granted to him by the National Academies in 2002. He was also a member of the American Society for Engineering Education.

• Member of the National Academy of Engineering (1974)
• Computer Society Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (1982)
• Slottow Creativity Award (1989)
• Emmy Award (2002)
• Inducted into National Inventors Hall of Fame (2013)
• Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (2018)
• Holladay Medal (2019)
• Fellow of the Computer History Museum (2022)

References

References

1. [http://www.ce.org/PDF/CE_Hall_of_Fame2K6.pdf Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame 2006 inductee bio]. (PDF). October 17, 2006. {{webarchive. link. (October 12, 2011.)
2. Weber, Marc. (July 27, 2022). "Oral History of Donald L. Bitzer".
3. Smith, Harrison. (December 14, 2024). "Donald Bitzer, a pioneer of cyberspace and plasma screens, dies at 90".
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5. Valentine. (November 26, 2014). "Professor Don Bitzer: Father of PLATO discusses his work".
6. (November 29, 2011). "Dr. Donald Bitzer". North Carolina State University News.
7. (March 23, 2011). "Alma Mater Inducts Bitzer". North Carolina State University.
8. Brown-Wynne Funeral Home. (May 7, 2022). "Maryann Bitzer".
9. Gordon, Brian. (December 12, 2024). "Donald Bitzer, NC State professor who made plasma screen TVs possible, dies at 90".
10. "College of Engineering at NC State University, Achieve!".
11. (1974). "NAE Elects 78 New Members". [[Science (journal).
12. "Rouskas named IEEE Fellow". North Carolina State University.
13. "Donald L. Bitzer and H. Gene Slottow Creativity Award".
14. Barbaro. (October 7, 2002). "The Emmy Goes to . . . Flat-Screen Plasma TV". [[The Washington Post]].
15. "Donald L. Bitzer". National Inventors Hall of Fame.
16. (May 2, 2018). "Bitzer named Fellow of National Academy of Inventors". National Academy of Inventors.
17. Packard. (May 7, 2019). "Two Faculty Win Holladay Medal". Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost.
18. "2022 Fellow Awards".