Honoring the lasting impact of Richard Conway and Robert Walker

Former faculty members Richard Conway and Robert Walker were instrumental in the founding of the Computer Science Department in 1965, convincing senior administrators of the need for a PhD program in CS and securing generous funding from the Sloan Foundation to help launch the fledgling unit. In recognition of their contributions, a distinguished lecture series has been established in their honor, celebrating their lasting impact on the department and the field of computer science.

Date: October 22, 2026
Time: 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. 
Location: G01 Gates Hall
Speaker: Gabriella Coleman, Harvard University
Title: From the Blue Box to Hacks-and-Leaks: The Entanglements of Hacking and Journalism
Host: Fred Schneider
Co-host: The Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies

Richard “Dick” W. Conway ’54, Ph.D. ‘58

During his long and varied career at Cornell, Richard Conway held a faculty position in Computer Science from1965 to1983, serving as Chair of the Department 1978-79 and 1983-84. Conway was also the founding director of the university’s IT computing group (CIT) from 1966-68. He was a member of the National Academy of Engineering and is widely known for his fundamental contributions to scheduling and computer simulation. Robert passed away in 2024.

Robert Walker

Robert Walker was a Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Cornell from 1938 to 1974, serving its Chair for ten of those years. Bob’s interest in computing and its connections to mathematics grew during his career. He held a half-time faculty appointment in the Department until 1968. Bob became emeritus in 1974 and died in 1992.