Gary Arlen Kildall (May 19, 1942 – July 11, 1994) was a computer scientist and microcomputer entrepreneur. Born to parents Joseph and Emma Kildal, Gary studied math at the University of Washington (UW) because he wanted to become a math teacher. However, he began getting in computer technology. Joseph was the creator of the CP/M operating system and the founder of Digital Research, Inc. (DRI). Kildall was one of the first people to see microprocessors as fully capable computers rather than equipment controllers and to organize a company around this concept.
He also co-hosted the PBS TV show The Computer Chronicles. Although his career in computing spanned for more than 20 years, he is most known in connection with IBM's unsuccessful attempt in 1980 to license CP/M for the IBM PC. Gary died from alcoholism and hitting his head in 1994 at the age of 52.

References

 Kildall, Gary (1973). "A Unified Approach to Global Program Optimization". Proceedings of the 1st Annual ACM SIGACT-SIGPLAN Symposium on Principles of Programming Languages.
 Manes, Stephen; Paul Andrews (1992). Gates: How Microsoft's Mogul Reinvented an Industry—and Made Himself the Richest Man in America Doubleday. .
 Akass, Clive. Interview: Gordon Eubanks, Former Student & CEO of Oblix, Inc., Recollections of Gary Kildall. DigitalResearch.biz.
 Wallace, James; Jim Erickson (1993), Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire, .
 Andrews, Paul. "A Career Spent in Gates' Shadow — Computer Pioneer Dies at 52", Seattle Times, July 14, 1994.
 Rolander, Tom (July 15, 1994). Eulogy. Tom Rolander's Website and Album.
 Markoff, John. "Gary Kildall, 52, Crucial Player In Computer Development, Dies", New York Times, July 13, 1994, p. D19.
 "Special Edition: Gary Kildall". The Computer Chronicles TV show, 1995.
 Swaine, Michael (April 1, 1997). "Gary Kildall and Collegial Entrepreneurship". Dr. Dobb's Journal.
 Wendy Goldman Rohm (1998), The Microsoft File, .
 Kirkpatrick, Don (January 12, 1999). comp.os.cpm Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
 Eubanks, Gordon. Interview with Daniel S. Morrow. "Gordon Eubanks Oral History (Computerworld Honors Program International Archives).", Cupertino, CA. November 8, 2000.
 Freiberger, Paul; Michael Swaine [1984] (2000). Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer, 2nd edition, New York: McGraw-Hill. .
 Evans, Harold; Gail Buckland; David Lefer (2004). They Made America: From the Steam Engine to the Search Engine: Two Centuries of Innovators. Little, Brown and Co. .
 Hamm, Steve; Jay Greene (October 25, 2004). "The Man Who Could Have Been Bill Gates," BusinessWeek.

Other websites 
 Computer Chronicles - Gary Kildall Special. Documentary Video Originally broadcast in 1995.
 Digital Research tribute to Dr. Kildall
 "Kildall, Industry Pioneer"  in Microprocessor Report vol 8, no. 10, August 1, 1994 (pdf format)
 Internet archive of defunct Digital Research website
 The Gary Kildall Legacy  by Sol Libes
 The man who could have been richer than Bill Gates 
 Gary Kildall and Collegial Entrepreneurship by Michael Swaine

1942 births
1994 deaths
American computer scientists
Chief executives
Scientists from Seattle, Washington
Businesspeople from Seattle, Washington