Jef Raskin

Jef Raskin (March 9, 1943 – February 26, 2005) was an American human–computer interface expert best known for conceiving and starting the Macintosh project for Apple in the late 1970s.

Early years and education

Raskin was born in New York City to a secular Jewish family. (The surname "Raskin" is a matronymic from "Raske", Yiddish nickname for Rachel.) He received a BA in mathematics and a BS in physics with minors in philosophy and music from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. In 1967, he received a master's degree in computer science (after switching from mathematical logic due to differences of opinion with his advisor) from Pennsylvania State University. Even though he had completed work for his PhD, the university was not accredited for a PhD in computer science. His first computer program, a music program, was part of his master's thesis.