Les Earnest
American computer scientist
About Les Earnest
Lived 1930 – 2024 (aged 93). Les Earnest was an American computer scientist, academic administrator, university teacher and business executive.
Lester Donald Earnest (December 17, 1930 – August 27, 2024) was an American computer scientist.
Life and career After receiving his B.S. in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 1953, he began his career as a computer programmer in 1954 during a stint as a U.S. Navy Aviation Electronics Officer & Digital Computer Project Officer at the Naval Air Development Center (NADC) in Johnsville, Pennsylvania. In 1956, he joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)'s Lincoln Laboratory to help design the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) air defense system. and the first spell checker.
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Important facts
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Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Les Earnest?
American computer scientist (1930–2024)
When was Les Earnest born?
Les Earnest was born on 17 December 1930 in San Diego.
When did Les Earnest die?
Les Earnest died on 27 August 2024.
What was Les Earnest's occupation?
Les Earnest was a computer scientist, academic administrator, university teacher and business executive.
What nationality was Les Earnest?
Les Earnest was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Les Earnest. https://biography.guide/les-earnest/
MLA: "Les Earnest." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/les-earnest/.
Chicago: "Les Earnest." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/les-earnest/.
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