Dear Ashok,
Thanks very much for your mail. I had just heard from John Menard about the forthcoming anniversary celebrations. You are right, it would be too much for me to undertake the trip from Europe -- as much as I would have liked to do that. I am just turning 86 and my bones disagree with long trips on airplanes. But let me share some of the thoughts, that welled up when I read your letter.
'' At first sight it was a shock to realize that 40 years have past since the CS Department was formally founded. It brings back memories of the pre-history during the decade before that date. In the late Fifties and early Sixties I belonged to a group of young university-computer-center directors, who met, more or less regularly, to share experiences and discuss views about the future of computers in the educational framework in which we worked. This group became the seed of the ACM Curriculum Committee, which in 1965 published its first recommendations for undergraduate programs in computer science. Three years later an extended version became the "Curriculum 68", that also functioned in the proposals leading to the establishment of the CS programs and the Department.
The curriculum committee went through many debates about the role of numerical mathematics in computer science programs. My own inclinations were influenced by John von Neumann's visions about the impact of computers on mathematics, and led me to remain on the mathematical side of those discussions. But the developments of the past fifty years and my own academic work have certainly convinced me that there is no clear line of separation, and that, at best, the border between the fields is characterized by a broad fractal region.
The Department can look back on a very successful 40 years and is deservedly acclaimed as one of the leaders in computer science education and research. At the same time, these years have brought us startling developments leading to a highly pervasive impact of computers on all aspects of our lives and society. These forces of computerization have raised huge challenges for changes in all areas and levels of education. Here, by necessity, a special role will have to be played by computer science education. I am confident that the Department will rise to this challenge and will thereby reaffirm its strong leadership role in the years to come.''
If you like, you may share these remarks in the meeting.
With all my good wishes for a successful anniversary celebration and all the very best to you,
Werner