David Farber, Godfather of Early Internet Networks, Dead at 91
Pioneer whose experimental computer networks shaped the internet's evolution passed away on February 7.
David J. Farber, the professor and researcher whose pioneering work on academic computer networks helped lay the groundwork for the modern internet, has died. He was 91.
Farber passed away on February 7. His career spanned decades of critical internet evolution, combining roles as a researcher, university professor, and federal policy adviser.
His influence extended far beyond his own work. Farber mentored generations of students who went on to make groundbreaking contributions to connecting the world online. His experimental networking research in academia helped define how early internet infrastructure would develop and scale.
Few people shaped the internet's trajectory from both the technical and policy sides simultaneously. Farber did exactly that, bridging the gap between lab experimentation and government decision-making during the internet's most formative years.