STORM LAKE, Iowa (KELO.com) — One of the fathers of the Apple computer is coming to the area.
Steve Wozniak, who designed Apple’s first line of products, will be Buena Vista University’s 23rd William W. Siebens American Heritage Lecture laureate on Friday, Oct. 4.
“Hosting Steve Wozniak on campus is a significant, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our students to hear from such a forward-thinking, innovative leader in our country,” says BVU President Joshua D. Merchant. “We are looking forward to hearing his messages on giving back, as well as his insights on global technology through student-led conversations.”
While on campus, Wozniak will participate in an afternoon question-and-answer program with a panel of BVU students, which will be followed by a formal evening lecture to invited regional leaders in the fields of business, technology, and education.
Wozniak, or “The Woz” as he is better known, helped shape the computing industry with his design of Apple I, Apple II, and his influence on the popular Macintosh. In partnership with Steve Jobs, Wozniak founded Apple Computer Inc. with the Apple I personal computer in 1976. The following year, he introduced the Apple II personal computer featuring a central processing unit, a keyboard, color graphics, and a floppy disk drive. His work in the late 1970s ignited the personal computing revolution, creating one of the most influential companies in history. In 1981, Wozniak returned to UC Berkeley to complete his degree in electrical engineering/computer science.
For his achievements at Apple, Wozniak was awarded the National Medal of Technology by President Ronald Reagan in 1985. In 2000, he was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame and was awarded the prestigious Heinz Award for Technology, The Economy and Employment for single-handedly designing the first personal computer and lighting the fires of excitement in mathematics and electronics for grade school students and their teachers.
(BVU contributed to this report.)
