I think it is safe to say that computers are pretty important today. Think about it, we use computers just about every day, whether it be through our jobs or our personal lives (our phones are mini-computers, basically). With that being said, there are little things about computers that we take for granted. For example, the fact we have computers in our pockets, the fact that we have laptops and not computers and monitors, and the fact that our monitors aren’t in black and white. Yes, just like color TV, the color monitor needed to be invented, and who better to invent it than a Black man? Let’s talk about Mark Dean.
At 63, Mark Dean is the youngest person I have talked about so far, so this innovation was relatively recent. Much like all of these innovators, he developed his interests when he was very young. His interest wasn’t computers, though, it was building things! With the help of his father, who was a supervisor at Tennessee Valley Authority, he built a tractor when he was young. Think about a tractor, and think about you as a kid. Think about how rough it has to be to build one. Much like all innovators, Dean was destined for greatness.
Dean was not only fantastic at building, but he was a brilliant student, getting straight As in high school. It also didn’t stop at high school, as in 1979, he graduated from the University of Tennessee at the top of his class where he studied engineering. What was next for Dean? IBM
After college, Dean got hired on to IBM as an engineer. And of course, Dean excelled here. He worked closely with Dennis Moeller, one of his colleagues, and developed the Industry Standard Architecture systems bus, a new system that allowed disk drives, printers, and monitors to be plugged directly into computers. We take that for granted nowadays, and took it for granted 10 years ago. Dean developing this resulted in better efficiency, which we are all very thankful for. Much like all the other innovators, there isn’t just one invention.
Dean’s research helped make PCs more accessible, as well as powerful. In 1999, Dean developed the color PC monitor, something else that we take for granted, as we have those in tenfold now; and he led a team of engineers to create the first gigahertz chip. This chip is able to do a billion calculations a second, this is something that made life using a computer much easier. Dean holds 3 of IBM’s original 9 patents, and has over 20 patents associated with his name.
Dean furthered his education and got his master’s degree in electrical engineering from FAU in ’82. 10 years later, he completed his doctorate in electrical engineering from Stanford. In 1996, he was named an IBM fellow, the first Black person to receive the honor. In 1997, he was honored with the Black Engineer of the Year President’s Award, as well as being inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. It didn’t stop there, as in 2001, he was contacted by the National Academy of Engineers to be a member.
The beautiful part about Mark Dean’s story is how recent it is. This all happened within the past 20 years, and this shows how Black Excellence still prevails at all times. To close this out, I want to use a quote from the man himself: “A lot of kids growing up today aren’t told that you can be whatever you want to be. There may be obstacles, but there are no limits.” Beautiful. Live your lives without limits, and thank you Mark Dean. Your legacy will not be forgotten. MT Out!
Biograhy.com Editors. Mark Dean Biography. 2 April 2014. 5 July 2020.
Photo creds: University of Tennessee, Tennessee Alumnus
