John Hinsdale

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John Kelley Hinsdale, (born October 9, 1963) is an open source programmer and database software specialist. He is known for his contributions to the open source software community [1], particularly with the Oracle database and the Lisp programming language [2].

Since the year 2000 Hinsdale has been involved in the field of bioinformatics and in the application of large scale database technology to the field of genomics [3].

Contents

[edit] Biography

Hinsdale was born in Chicago to Janice M. and Benjamin Hinsdale, the youngest in a large Midwestern family of eleven [4]. He began using computers in 1979 at the Saint Ignatius prep school in downtown Chicago. This enthusiasm led him to MIT where he majored in Computer Science and conducted research in cryptography under professor Ronald L. Rivest (the "R" of RSA), taking a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science in 1986, and then on to Columbia University, taking a Master's degree, also in Computer Science, in 1995.

[edit] McKinsey and the Wall Street years

From 1986 through 1991, Hinsdale decided to apply his computer science in the field of management consulting, working as a specialist for the New York firm of McKinsey & Company.

Following McKinsey, Hinsdale then went to work as a quantitative strategist for Goldman Sachs from 1993 to 1995.

[edit] Return to software engineering and web development

In 1995, Hinsdale returned the full thrust of his energies back to software development, founding the consultancy Alma Mater Software, Inc. in New York City, later moving to Tarrytown, New York and from there to Princeton Junction, New Jersey.

During the period from 1995 through 1998 Hinsdale developed a number of major Web sites in New York City, including those for New York's WNET, Channel 13 PBS TV station, and a number of magazines including Good Housekeeping, Popular Mechanics, and Country Living (all of them Hearst magazines).

[edit] @Plan and the Internet boom

During the Internet boom between 1998 and 2000 Hinsdale became Chief Technology Officer for the market research company @Plan of Stamford, Connecticut and helped bring the company public in May, 1999. After the company matured, Hinsdale stepped down to return to developing software full time, again under the banner of Alma Mater.

[edit] Bioinformatics

At the present time Hinsdale is involved in bioinformatics and open source software development and devotes his full energies in those endeavors at the Bristol-Myers Squibb company in Hopewell, New Jersey.

[edit] Software packages

Hinsdale has been involved in a number of influential software packages, notably the CLisp implmentation of the Lisp programming language, and a type of database tool known as an Oracle table browser.

[edit] Trivia

  • Hinsdale is an avid student of music of all varieties and has played guitar since 1979.
  • Hinsdale is named for the circus attorney John Kelley, who represented the Ringling Brothers, prior to their merger with Barnum and Bailey, in the 1800s. John M. Kelley was brother to Hinsdale's paternal grandmother, Zita Kelley.

[edit] Quotes

  • "Freedom of speech is the opiate of the masses."
  • "Age and deceit will always triumph over youth and ability." (Attributed to Benjamin W. Hinsdale)

[edit] References

  1. ^  [5] - CLISP home page
  2. ^  [6] - Oracle Table Browser home page
  3. ^  [7] - Bristol-Myers Squibb home page
  4. ^  [8] - John Hinsdale's personal home page.