William (Bill) Aspray

Bill Aspray is a prominent historian of computing whose scholarship, professional leadership, and archival work have helped define the academic study of information technology. He has held faculty positions at institutions including the University of Texas at Austin, Georgetown University, and Indiana University, teaching and researching the history of computing, information policy, and the social impact of digital technology.

Aspray served as Executive Director of the Computing Research Association (CRA), the leading organization representing academic and industrial research labs in computer science. In that role he worked closely with federal agencies, universities, and industry leaders to strengthen national research programs and advance the computing fields. His earlier work at the National Science Foundation included shaping funding initiatives in computer and information science and helping establish long-term research priorities.

Within the professional societies, Aspray held major leadership positions in both the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He served as Editor-in-Chief of *IEEE Annals of the History of Computing* and contributed to numerous ACM and IEEE committees devoted to history, archives, and education. His work helped elevate the importance of preserving documentary evidence for future research into computing’s development.

As an author and editor, Aspray has written or co-edited more than twenty books on the history of computing, computing education, and information policy. His publications include influential works on early computing pioneers, the evolution of computing professions, and the cultural and economic forces that shaped the digital revolution. He has also worked extensively with archives and special collections, advising museums, libraries, and research institutions on preserving the technological record.

Through his combined roles as historian, educator, archivist, and leader in national computing organizations, Bill Aspray has made enduring contributions to the understanding and documentation of the computing field and to the institutions that support its research and development.