Len,
Thanks for sticking it out there! I have always viewed you as one of my leaders, from our times as fellow grad students; to our interweaving lives in Silicon Valley; to the bare beginnings of the Computer Museum History Center at Moffett Field, the big gulp step of acquiring a real museum building, and the methodical transformation of the museum from a “best kept secret” to “oh CHM of course.” Thank you for your quiet courage, integrity, and willingness to step to the front. I admire you and respect you—thank you.
—Dave Rossetti
Len, looking forward to future spottings of you in content and spirit. Thank you for defining a Museum where we look forward to work each day.
Best Regards,
Cathy Chin
Len, wishing you all the best. You have helped create an amazing institution, one that will always reflect your passion and influence. Thank you for building something amazing.
Dave Evans
Len—Thank you for your hard work and dedication to CHM. The institution has been lucky to have such steadfast leadership for so many years! I’m happy you’ll be sticking around in other capacities—here’s to CHM 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, etc.!
Cheers,
Leslie Grothaus
Len, having your trust as a curator for this incredible museum has really meant a lot to me. You are such a sharp and insightful colleague, and your passion for computing history is inspiring. I’m looking forward to many more years of building and interpreting the collection with you!
David C. Brock
Len—CHM has clearly benefited and thrived under your leadership, and you’re leaving the organization equipped to take on the future. Congratulations, and thank you, for all you’ve achieved and the precedence for excellence that you’re leaving behind. I’m glad to know that you’ll still be involved and want to be the first to sign-up for a tour when you’re a docent!
Wishing you all the best in your “retirement.”
Michelle Foster
Len, thanks for leading and thriving CHM to a great Institution. Enjoy your retirement. Hope to hear some of your fun travel experiences in the near future.
Wishing you all the best,
Anges
Len, working on the video collection of the Museum I have learned how important you have been in the history of this institution. No matter how old the tape is, you appear on the screen introducing an event organized by CHM. Fellows, lectures, seminars. In those videos, you always describe the mission of this institution with passion. As a member of the Oral History Steering Committee, you helped make this program a fundamental part of CHM collection. Your legacy will last forever. Thank you for dedicating so many years and so much energy to the Museum.
Massimo
Len, thank you for all of the help with software preservation literally for decades, especially the time you’ve put in helping me recover magnetic tapes and all of the work you’ve done on Whirlwind and the readtape program.
Al
Len, before joining the Museum, I had known of you as someone who deeply cares about CHM. Even though I did not know much about CHM at that time, your connection to CHM was very clear. When I started working here and heard you speak at the first board meeting I attended, I understood what that really meant. You have set an amazing example of how to provide steadfast commitment and long term support to an organization. I wish you all the best.
Warm Regards,
Palak Joshi
Thank you so much for all the years of solid leadership and dedication. I’m so proud of being a part of this unique and relevant museum that you have built and look forward to more of its contributions to our community and society. I specifically want to thank you for supporting all our employee programs and events meant to enhance our staff’s experience at CHM. You have always shown your appreciation to our team through your personal gifts, contributions and presence. For those, I am most grateful. Best of luck with all your future plans!
Therese Ick
Len, Thank you for all the hard work you have contributed to CHM. I admire your leadership and positivity you bring to us at the museum. I look forward to see what the next chapter holds.
All the Best,
Aaron Chen
Cheers Len. It’s been great to have your calm leadership over the years. Here’s hoping you can nab another Babbage Engine. Enjoy your “Retirement”! I’m sure we’ll be seeing you around.
Best
Jon Plutte
Len—Thank you for all of your hard work and leadership throughout the years. CHM is truly lucky to have someone as dedicated to our mission as you have been. Wishing you all the best in the future.
Many thanks,
Stephanie Grilli
Thank you Len for being the backbone of what this museum has developed into. Your dedication of the computing field and knowledge has given what the museum needs to make it strong and solid. Thank you again and hope to see you when you pop in at the museum.
Thank you,
Dennis Cassar
Len,
When I joined the museum in 2014, I read your 2008 visioning document, version 16 (!). I felt then what a privilege it was to become part of an institution whose founder had developed such a worthy vision of the museum’s purpose and enduring value. Working with you and seeing you lead the museum through growth, challenges, and transformation have only reinforced my admiration and appreciation for you. The museum you have shaped over the past 25 years has become a home to many team members and volunteers as well as an institution for impact here in the Valley and many places around the world. I’m grateful to be part of the team that will continue to build CHM in a way we hope will make you proud.
All the best,
Marguerite
Len,
Thank you for your vision and leadership! I have always marveled at your ability to go high and low in guiding the museum, and to find the common threads and balanced nuances from scores of stakeholders to keep the institution moving forward. You have been a great role model, and I will always value your intellect, wisdom, and thoughtful and deliberate considerations on all subject matters as they arise. I know that it “took a village” to create and build CHM and we’re fortunate to have such an illustrious collection of current and former Board members and supporters, but I’ll always think of CHM—in a significant part—as the “house that Len built.” Thank you again for all that you’ve done, and all that you do, for CHM and the world around it.
George
Back in 1997 Len loaned colleagues and I exhibit cases for the Web History exhibit and program we did at that year’s Web conference, and he and Gwen Bell were involved in our preservation brainstorming along with Stanford and the Internet Archive. Nearly a decade later he helped bring the Web History Center to CHM, and this led to the CHM Internet History Program. Thank you deeply, Len, for co-founding this unique institution that is such a pivotal part of the field! I look forward to working with you on oral histories and other diversions.
Marc
Thoughtful, clear, and detail-oriented; taking the time to move slow when it needed to be slow, and moving fast when it makes sense to shift. Thank you Len for the opportunity to be in the presents of thoughts, wisdom and action.
Ton
“Do you know about the IBM 7030,” Len first asked me at a small, no-frills eatery on the edge of Palo Alto, one lunch hour in August of 1996, part of an informal job interview after I had met Gwen and Gordon Bell at their Los Altos home for a preliminary one. I had to admit I had no idea what a 7030 was or why I should. Funny that it would later become one of my favorite artifacts at CHM—once we picked one up (an entire tractor trailer load of it) and as I discovered it was one of the most important computer systems of all time.
So many miles we have traveled Len since then . . . literally an entire generation. I think both of us got surprised at the scale of issues involved in running a Museum. Not for the faint of heart! I remember it was always the *people* that got me interested in taking up a job at CHM—the quality of the board at the time especially read like a who’s who of the computing industry so I had a great feeling CHM would succeed. Len your persistence and stamina are truly amazing and are what allowed CHM to blossom into the beautiful flower it is today. Thank you for your vision, endless support, and basic decency. You have been a wonderful role model. They say great institutions are the lengthened shadow of one man. Thank you Len. For everything.
Dag
Thanks, Len for starting and maturing this organization to preserve so much of our technological past. I am very happy to contribute to the organization however I’m able as we go into the future. You have created a world-renowned establishment and I consider myself lucky to be a part of it.
Thank you!
John Biscevic
Dear Len,
Thank you for your leadership and service to the CHM. While I have only been on the board for less than 6 months, I’m sure that I can speak for all in that so much of where we are today is because of your passion and contributions. We’ll continue to work hard towards your vision, in the spirit of your leadership, to make you proud.
My very best, always.
Angela Tran
Len,
It has been a pleasure to get to know you better and to witness your steadfast belief in what the house you built should be. You took on opposing views mostly with grace and exploded with laughter when I suggested putting you into deep freeze until most changes had been implemented!
Thank you,Len, for your dedication and leadership. Your legacy is assured!
Warmest regards and all my best,
Lore
Len:
Many thanks for your leadership and service to the CHM for so many years! Although I have only been a Trustee for a couple of years, I have enjoyed working with you. You should be proud of how your leadership, passion, spirit, and vision have shaped the CHM! I know you are a lifetime supporter of the museum so I look forward to staying in touch.
Best regards,
Janet Wong
Len:
It’s been amazing to see your work from the Homebrew Club to the original Boston museum to what you’ve built at CHM. Thanks for your leadership and congratulations on the next phase. If ever find an extra Network General Sniffer laying around, please autograph it and I’ll arrange a pickup for my home museum.
Chris Fralic
Len
We go back a very long time. I remember that organizational meeting we had with Gwen at the very beginning in Dave House’s kitchen. I remember the meeting in your living room in which Dave House suggested and we all agreed that we not only wanted to capture the artifacts, but also the important stories and a goal of building a community. I remember Donna announcing your engagement in a very public way. And, I remember your generous “wedding gift” to the museum.
Through your leadership and courage we accomplished a lot. Investing in Shoreline was an extremely bold move at a time when some thought the high tech world was collapsing around us. You convinced me to start chairing Fellows and took it back (“keeping my seat warm” is how you put it) when I couldn’t devote the necessary time, and then convinced me to take it back.
We could not have done it without you.
Ike Nassi
