Donald Bitzer

Donald Lester Bitzer (January 1, 1934 – December 10, 2024) was an American electrical engineer and computer scientist. He was the co-inventor of the plasma display and was widely regarded as the "father of PLATO".

Life and career Donald Lester Bitzer was born in East St. Louis, Illinois, on January 1, 1934. He grew up in Collinsville, Illinois.

Bitzer held several patents in numerous areas, while the PLATO computer system, the first system to combine graphics and touchscreens, is the most famous of his inventions.

Bitzer co-invented the flat plasma display panel in 1964.

In 1974, Bitzer was elected as a member into the National Academy of Engineering for "his leadership in the utilization and development of technology for improving the effectiveness of education".

From 1989, Bitzer was a Distinguished University Research Professor of Computer Science at North Carolina State University.

Bitzer was married to Maryann Drost, a nurse and educator, from 1955 until her death in 2022 and had a son, along with three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Bitzer was a designated National Associate, an honor which was granted to him by the National Academies in 2002. He was also a member of the American Society for Engineering Education. Computer Society Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (1982) Slottow Creativity Award (1989) Emmy Award (2002) Inducted into National Inventors Hall of Fame (2013) Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (2018) Holladay Medal (2019) Fellow of the Computer History Museum (2022)