Len Shustek

Leonard J. "Len" Shustek is a founder of networking companies Nestar Systems and Network General and a former chairman of the board of trustees of the Computer History Museum located in Mountain View, California.^[1]

Professor Leonard Jay Shustek
Len Shustek (center) 2011
Citizenship	United States
Education	PhD, Stanford University
Alma mater	Polytechnic Institute of New York University
Occupation	Occasional Consulting Professor
Employer	Stanford University
Board member of	Computer History Museum, Polytechnic Institute, Tablus (Technical Advisory Board)
Spouse	Donna Dubinsky

Background and career

Shustek received BS and MS from Polytechnic Institute of New York University in Brooklyn, New York.^[2] After earning his PhD from Stanford University, he became an assistant professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University. After leaving the faculty, he co-founded Nestar Systems in 1979,^[3][4] and Network General in 1986.^[5][6] In 2003, he provided a $2.5 million endowment for the "Leonard J. Shustek Distinguished Professor of Computer Science Chair" at Polytechnic Institute of New York University.^[7] He has also taught computer science at Stanford University.^[8]

In 1972, Shustek proposed using microcode for evaluating the performance of computer systems.^[9] He received BS and MS from Polytechnic University in Brooklyn.^[2]

In a 1999 interview, Shustek reflected upon the failure of major computer suppliers decades earlier to recognize the need for computer networks. According to Shustek, computer scientist Harry Saal resigned his position at IBM Santa Teresa Laboratory, because he could not convince IBM to develop local area networks. Saal then convinced Shustek to give up his position as an associate professor at Carnegie Mellon, and together they founded the networking company Nestar.^[3]

References

1. Gardner Hendrie (2002-07-16), Shustek, Len (Leonard J.) oral history (PDF), Computer History Museum, retrieved 2021-11-22
2. Shustek, Len. "A Walk Through "Visible Storage"".
3. Burg (August 1, 2002). The Triumph of Ethernet: Technological Communities and the Battle for the LAN Standard (Innovation and Technology in the World E). Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-4094-4.
4. Urs von Burg and Martin Kenney (September 1998). "Venture capital and the birth of the local area networking industry" (PDF). Research Policy. 29. Elsevier Science B.V. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-11-05. Retrieved 2014-11-04.
5. Overview of Computer History Museum, Bloomberg Businessweek, archived from the original on 2017-02-02, retrieved 2012-10-29
6. Petrosky, Mary (1987-06-22). "Network General smells success with Sniffer". Network World. Vol. 4, no. 25. International Data Group. p. 15.
7. Stephanie Rosenbloom (March 12, 2003). "Professor Joins Polytechnic". New York Times. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
8. "Leonard J. Shustek". Computer History Museum. 4 February 2024.
9. Saal, Harry J; Shustek, Leonard J (1972), "Microprogrammed implementation of computer measurement techniques", Conference record of the 5th annual workshop on Microprogramming - MICRO 5, Proceeding MICRO 5 Conference record of the 5th annual workshop on Microprogramming, pp. 42–50, doi:10.1145/776378.776383, ISBN 9781450373692, OSTI 1442245, S2CID 16709945, retrieved 2012-10-29 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)

External links

• In computer infancy, Saal and Shustek convince skeptics to invest in networking.