Happy 50th birthday, Simon Peyton Jones!
January 19th, 2008 by Bryan O'Sullivan
Simon needs no introduction as an academic and hacker nonpareil, but I want to write a brief note about his generosity and qualities as a mentor.
In the spring of 1994, I was an undergraduate at Trinity College Dublin, in Ireland, obsessed with functional programming. Having never had any prior conversations with any FP researchers, I sent Simon an email out of the blue, asking him to hire me as a summer intern. To my astonishment and delight, he didn’t hesitate to offer me a job.
The summer that followed was one of the best of my life. I was immersed in the innards of GHC at a time when Glasgow was the centre of the functional programming universe, and I had the opportunity to work with many wonderful, bright people. I trace my interest in writing a book about Haskell, and in working to make sure we can publish it openly for the benefit of the community, directly to Simon and the model he set.
Simon’s influence on the Haskell community is as much personal as it is technical: through example, he encourages an open, friendly spirit of inquiry and collaboration. We owe him a lot.
Thanks, Simon! And here’s to the next fifty!
I am a newbie for Haskell, but when I read the articles wrote by Simon, I found it is very interesting and very helpful. Thanks a lot for Simon and you all.
Happy birthday, Simon!
Wouldn’t it be great if we turn this blog entry into a collection of tributes?
As a first-year undergrad in 1992, students who already knew Pascal were invited to try this experiment in education, using a language called “Miranda”.
Well, actually, we used Orwell. But still, I never really “got” it… until, when browsing the library, I found “The Implementation of Functional Programming Languages” by SPJ.
That book, more than any other, made me see the possibilities of lazy functional programming. I’ve been hooked ever since.
I’ve never met Simon. Only virtually, really. But I can’t begin to express how much his work has influenced my intellectual life. There are only a couple of other people who can come close.
So happy birthday, Simon, and keep inspiring people.
Simon’s enthousiasm is really a boon for the Haskell community. Reading is papers is always interesting, and I look forward to his posts on any mailing list.
Bon anniversaire, Simon !
[...] Peyton Jones of Haskell fame (and a MSoftie) turned 50 [...]
Yes! A very happy birthday to Simon!!
I rushed out and bought the book mentioned above after seeing SPJ speak at St Andrews University in 1988 or so. He gave a very interesting talk, and clearly his enthusiasm has not diminished over the years.
He is one of the friendliest and most approachable computer scientists that I’ve come across, and I wish him every success.