Interviewed by Dag Spicer on 2025-03-06 in Mountain View, CA
© Computer History Museum
This oral history with Bill Yeager traces a career that helped shape the internet’s foundations. After formative experiences in mathematics, seafaring, and software engineering, in 1975 Yeager was hired by Stanford University as a researcher in the medical school, Knowledge Systems Laboratory, and Computer Science Department. There he played a pivotal role in the development of the Stanford Router – a cornerstone in the evolution of computer networking.
Designed by Yeager and colleagues in the early 1980s, this router became the architectural model for many early commercial internet routers, including those produced by Cisco. Yeager’s account blends technical insight with personal stories of mentorship, rigorous academic training, and a lifelong passion for mathematics. The interview also touches on his work with the classic Burroughs B5000 mainframe computer, real-time data systems at NASA, and teaching roles at Gavilan College and Cal Western. This interview shows Yeager to be both an engineering pioneer and a dedicated educator, with a gift for translating complexity into clarity.
- Note: Transcripts represent what was said in the interview. However, to enhance meaning or add clarification, interviewees have the opportunity to modify this text afterward. This may result in discrepancies between the transcript and the video. Please refer to the transcript for further information – http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/300000012
Visit computerhistory.org/collections/oralhistories/ for more information about the Computer History Museum’s Oral History Collection.
Collection number: 300000011
Acquisition number: 2025.0034
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