Sun Labs Perspectives Series Essay PS-2008-7

Foreword by Jim Mitchell

Bert Sutherland Director, Sun Labs (1993-1998)

September 11, 2008 - I first met Dr. William (Bert) Sutherland when he joined the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in 1975 as Director of its System Sciences Laboratory. I was immediately impressed by his quiet and thoughtful manner, but came to value even more his wisdom, the depth of his thought, and the principles he held and espoused. He has been a practicing scientist and engineer; he has directed research (and therefore researchers) over an amazing period of growth and change in the computer industry and in the computer science and technological development that underlies it. Under his leadership his labs have produced some amazing and impactful inventions: things like modeless WYSIWIG editing, Java(TM), and IC design made accessible to everyone, to quote a few examples. It is that wealth of experience coupled with his high regard for good science and engineering that makes this paper such a worthwhile and great read.

Bert has written an excellent manual for research laboratory directors. If you need to know how to think about the decision making for starting (and stopping) projects, how to get new inventions to be used in products, how to lead responsibly and manage both downward and upward, or how to build and develop a first class research organization, read what he says and take it to heart.

It is a mark of the esteem in which Dr.Sutherland is held that virtually all his successors at Sun Microsystems Laboratories have continued to bother him for consultation long after his tenure in that position. It is wonderful that he has taken the time to distill his experience and wisdom in this excellent paper.

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