Title: 1) Retired Senior Technical Staff Member; 2) Retired Adjunct Professor
Company: 1) IBM; 2) SUNY Ulster
Location: Delancey, New York, United States
Louis C. Thomason, PhD, Retired Senior Technical Staff Member at IBM and Retired Adjunct Professor at State University of New York, Ulster, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Engineers for dedication, achievements and leadership in Technology for Distributed Operating Systems and Higher Education.
Dr. Thomason’s distinguished career in technology and academia is marked by decades of innovation, leadership and dedication to advancing distributed operating systems. After fully retiring from the field, he supported the State University of New York (SUNY) Ulster near Kingston, New York, where he served as an adjunct professor from 2013 to 2024. In this role, he inspired students by sharing real-world examples from his career, emphasizing the region’s significant contributions to computer science. He also played a pivotal role in mentoring students in the development of an application for the veterinary technology department.
Before his academic tenure at SUNY Ulster, Dr. Thomason’s experience was built upon a remarkable four-decade career at IBM, where he held the position of senior technical staff member from 1966 to 2007. At IBM, Dr. Thomason played a pivotal role in the development of the IBM 2250 display, the first successful commercial computer display, which laid the groundwork for modern computer graphics. He managed and chaired several task forces focused on implementing networking software, including the collection of computer data and the IBM operating system VM/XA operating system, and the development of an OS/370 networking component that would become a precursor to today’s internet infrastructure.
Dr. Thomason is particularly proud of his leadership in distributed computing technology, a field closely related to networking. He served as chair of a key IBM task force dedicated to helping customers understand IBM’s software offerings. Later, he was transferred to Europe to lecture IBM customers about these same technologies. In the 1980s, he contributed to the design of Distributed Processing Performance (DPPX), an operating system developed that introduced innovative communication capabilities between computers. Dr. Thomason co-authored a comprehensive paper detailing the technology behind DPPX, further cementing his reputation as an authority in distributed systems. For approximately half of his career at IBM, he focused on management, primarily leading design departments, while also maintaining a strong technical presence.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Thomason held academic appointments as an associate adjunct professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute from 1976 to 1978, where he taught graduate and undergraduate courses in the school of engineering. Previously, he was an associate professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University between 1972 and 1973, where he taught graduate and undergraduate students in the department of electrical engineering. He also served as an instructor at Oklahoma State University from 1960 to 1966, where he taught undergraduate students in department of electrical engineering. These roles allowed Dr. Thomason to share his passion for technology and electronics with students at various stages of their academic journeys.
Dr. Thomason graduated from Enid High School in 1956. His college years culminated in a Doctor of Philosophy in electrical and computer engineering from Oklahoma State University, completed in 1966. While pursuing his doctorate, Dr. Thomason was invited to serve as the co-director of the institution’s engineering and computing center, where he gained hands-on experience with early computing technology and formed influential professional relationships that guided his entry into IBM.
Dr. Thomason completed the Google AI Essentials certification in 2025, reflecting his ongoing interest in artificial intelligence (AI) and its applications in content creation and communication. His expertise is further recognized through his longstanding memberships in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Association for Computing Machinery.
Throughout his career, Dr. Thomason has contributed to the advancement of computer science through numerous publications in the IBM Systems Journal and presentations at the IBM Engineering Symposium. His professional excellence has been acknowledged with the Senior Technical Staff Award at IBM. Dr. Thomason attributes his success to a lifelong passion for technology, a dedication to sharing knowledge and a deep appreciation for the collaborative achievements realized throughout his career.
Dr. Thomason’s early fascination with electronics began in childhood, building telegraph and audio systems and participating in technical projects during high school. He hopes to be remembered for his deep appreciation of technology, especially computer technology, and for valuing the accomplishments resulting from his contributions to the field. Dr. Thomason’s current goals include supporting veterinary technology applications for students, ensuring their accessibility for accreditation purposes and exploring new programming tools developed with AI.
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