Robert Felt

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Robert Felt (1953-2002) was a computer programmer, chess USCF rated Expert and champion Scrabble player.

In 1990, Felt became the first Scrabble player to win both the US national Scrabble championship and the UK Scrabble championship in the same year. An amazing feat that required him to memorize two different dictionaries.

He entered the University of Chicago in 1971 and tested out of so many requirements he was awarded Junior status. At the University of Chicago he a was member of the chess team, at one point being first board on the University's second team for two NCAA national tournaments. He also competed for the University at the NCAA national contract bridge tournament.

In 1978, he left the University without a degree and joined Banker's Life and Casualty as a computer programmer. At the TDM division of Rand McNally he enjoyed a reputation as one of the best CICS programmers in the world. Later he would be instrumental in developing the software for early police and fire dispatching systems. Much of the technology at most 911 call centers is derived from his early work.

[edit] Trivia

While in college his nickname was "Sloth" after one of the seven deadly sins. He was often found asleep in the stairwells at Hitchcock Hall (now known as Snell-Hitchcock). because he did not want to climb all the stairs to his fourth floor suite.