Philip Estridge

Updated: 12/30/2019 by Computer Hope
Philip Estridge

Name: Philip Donald (Don) Estridge

Born: June 23, 1937, in Jacksonville, Florida, USA

Death: August 2, 1985 (Age: 48)

Computer-related contributions

  • Led development of the original IBM Personal Computer (PC).
  • Known as "father of the IBM PC".
  • Made the decision—uncommon for that time—that the machine would be made from off-the-shelf, easily obtainable parts and that the design specification would be made public.
  • Steve Jobs offered Estridge a multi-million dollar job as president of Apple Computers, which he turned down.

Honors and awards

  • Identified in CIO magazine as one of the people who "invented the enterprise" (1999).
  • The Don Estridge High-Tech Middle School—formerly IBM Facility Building 051—in Boca Raton, Florida, is named after him.