John Gosden – 1930-2003 Joined LEO as a programmer in 1953 after taking a degree (pass) in Mathematics at Cambridge University and made rapid progress with his understanding of software. Played a key role in the design of systems software for LEO II and LEO III. Left LEO in 1961 to emigrate to the USA for a sterling career in computing including acting as advisor on computer matters to the US Government. An obituary was published in The Times newspaper in the Lives in Brief Section on January 8th 2004. John Gosden, computer programmer, was born on March 9, 1930. He died on December 18, 2003, aged 73. John Gosden had a long and distinguished career in computer technology and applications, in the United States and Great Britain. After studying mathematics at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, in 1953 he joined the J. Lyons organisation as a trainee programmer. Its small Lyons Electronic Office (LEO) team was engaged on the final trials of the payroll programme for the Cadby Hall bakeries. The LEO system was then equipped with only the most rudimentary systems software, which gave the programmers little assistance. The group of experts were the first to harness emerging computer technology to practical business management, and LEO became known as the world’s first office computer. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lives-in-brief-3hlnmnxmvj9 Resurrection, Issue 33. Spring 2004, published an obituary written by David Caminer, http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/CCS/res/res33.htm#f A biographical sketch of his career can be found on pages 203 and 204 in Peter Bird’s LEO: the World’s First Business Computer. http://www.leo-computers.org.uk/gosdenobit.html
