This week Atlanta lost one of her true giants with the passing of our dear friend John P. Imlay Jr. It was an especially painful loss for us in the College of Computing. For more than four decades, John was the visionary leader who built and guided Atlanta’s technology community. There is a plaque in the Dean’s suite that shows the family tree of Atlanta technology companies. Most of them trace their heritage to John Imlay Jr. He was a proud Georgia Tech graduate, and his office was filled with Tech paraphernalia. But he was especially proud that the chief academic officer of the college was known as the John P. Imlay Jr. Dean of Computing. John gave generously to the College. He was a financial benefactor, but he also gave his time and shared his professional  network with each of us. John’s protégés and colleagues also became friends of the college during the tenure of founding dean Peter Freeman. Rich DeMillo’s friendship with John began in the 1970’s, and that forty-year relationship helped propel the college to national prominence. John, embracing the vision of Zvi Galil, called him the “newest tiger,”  which was the highest praise for a man who was the mentor for so many tigers. The annual Imlay Lecture in October will be an occasion to honor and celebrate the life of a man who was part of our community. At this moment, our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to his wife, Mary Ellen, and the rest of the Imlay family. We all share this loss.

The John P. Imlay Jr. Deans

Peter Freeman

Richard DeMillo

Zvi Galil