Known for Huffman coding Fields Information theory | Role Computer scientist Name David Huffman | |
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Born August 9, 1925
Ohio ( 1925-08-09 ) Alma mater Ohio State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Thesis The Synthesis of Sequential Switching Circuits (1953) Died October 7, 1999, Santa Cruz, California, United States Notable awards IEEE Richard W. Hamming Medal (1999) Education Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ohio State University | ||
Residence United States of America Doctoral advisor Samuel H. Caldwell | ||
David Albert Huffman (August 9, 1925 – October 7, 1999) was a pioneer in computer science, known for his Huffman coding. He was also one of the pioneers in the field of mathematical origami. David Huffman died at the age of 74, ten months after being diagnosed with cancer.
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Education
Huffman earned his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Ohio State University in 1944, then served two years as an officer in the United States Navy. He returned to Ohio State to earn his master's degree in electrical engineering in 1949. In 1953, he earned his Doctor of Science in electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), with the thesis The Synthesis of Sequential Switching Circuits, advised by Samuel H. Caldwell.
Career
Huffman joined the faculty at MIT in 1953. In 1967, he joined the faculty of University of California, Santa Cruz and helped found its Computer Science Department, where he served as chair from 1970 to 1973. He retired in 1994.