Steve Russell
American video game programmer and designer (born 1937)
About Steve Russell
Born 1937. Steve Russell is an American computer scientist, engineer and programmer, known for Lisp (programming language) and Spacewar!.
Stephen Russell (born 1937), He invented the continuation to solve a double recursion problem for one of the users of his Lisp implementation.
In 1962, Russell created and designed Spacewar!, with the fellow members of the Tech Model Railroad Club at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), working on a Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) PDP-1 minicomputer. Spacewar! is widely considered to be the first digital video game and served as a foundation for the entire video game industry.
He later served as an executive of Computer Center Corporation (nicknamed C-Cubed), a small time-sharing company in Washington state. In 1968, he mentored Bill Gates and Paul Allen on the use of the DEC PDP-10 mainframe, while they were part of the programming group of Lakeside School.
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Important facts
People in Steve Russell's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Related people
Same field, nearest in time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Steve Russell's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Steve Russell?
American video game programmer and designer (born 1937)
When was Steve Russell born?
Steve Russell was born on 12 May 1937 in Hartford.
What is Steve Russell's occupation?
Steve Russell is a computer scientist, engineer and programmer.
What is Steve Russell known for?
Steve Russell is known for Lisp (programming language) and Spacewar!.
What nationality is Steve Russell?
Steve Russell is American.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Steve Russell (computer scientist)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Steve Russell. https://biography.guide/steve-russell-computer-scientist/
MLA: "Steve Russell." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/steve-russell-computer-scientist/.
Chicago: "Steve Russell." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/steve-russell-computer-scientist/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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