Chippewa Falls Honors Seymour Cray on His 100th Birthday

On Sunday, September 28, 2025, the community of Chippewa Falls came together to celebrate what would have been Seymour Cray's 100th birthday, paying tribute to the man widely recognized as the 'Father of Supercomputing.'

 

The Chippewa Area History Center and the Chippewa Falls Museum of Industry and Technology jointly hosted an open house from noon to 4 p.m., offering attendees a chance to explore exhibits detailing Cray's groundbreaking work in supercomputer engineering. The event featured snacks, refreshments, and games, creating a festive atmosphere for all ages.

 

A highlight of the celebration was a roundtable Q&A session held at 3 p.m. in the Diamond Classroom of the History Center. Former colleagues and employees of Cray shared personal anecdotes and insights into his innovative spirit. Skip August, a former employee, remarked, "Basically, the guy was a genius. He was involved in everything; it wasn't just the design of the computer."

 

Another former colleague, David Kiefer, reflected on the work environment at Cray Research, stating, "Cray was an extremely good place to work as an engineer. We developed a lot of innovative technology, and we had an architecture for the system that was second to none in that time frame."

 

Born in Chippewa Falls in 1925, Seymour Cray founded Cray Research and was instrumental in developing some of the world's fastest computers during the 1970s. His pioneering contributions continue to influence modern computing technologies. Cray passed away in 1996 at the age of 71, but his legacy endures, especially in his hometown.

 

Reflecting on the evolution of technology, August noted, "Biggest eye opener, if you look at Cray machines, they take up the whole room." Holding up his smartphone, he added, "Here it is. It doesn't do the same things, but it's got more memory."

 

The event underscored the community's pride in Cray's achievements and served as an inspiration for future innovators. As Kiefer aptly put it, "One thing people should take away is they shouldn't be afraid to start something and go to something new. An example is Cray. There were a lot of people that didn't think that Cray was going to make it, you know, small town."

 

Chippewa Falls continues to honor the enduring impact of Seymour Cray, celebrating his contributions that have left an indelible mark on the world of technology.