Look Who it Was Random video

Oral History of Forest Baskett Part 2

1,024 views · Published 18 December 2017 · 2:45:17 · Indexed 18 October 2026

Channel: Computer History Museum · 2017 · Science & Technology

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Interviewed by Len Shustek on 2017-01-31 in Mountain View, CA, X7999.2017 
© Computer History Museum

In this two-part oral history, Forest covers the full arc of his career from growing up in Texas, earning PhD in Computer Science from the University of Texas, becoming a professor, then entrepreneur and finally a venture capitalist.  
His work at the University of Texas/Austin centered on early timesharing systems and computer performance optimization.  After his PhD, he moved to Stanford University where he continued his work in performance analysis. He was also influenced by the work at nearby Xerox PARC and the development of the Alto personal computer. 
Forest took a leave from Stanford to spend full-time at PARC where he was exposed to all the exciting work going on there.  As a result, he was invited to join several startups, but for personal reasons decided on a lower pressure alternative and took the leadership role in establishing DEC’s Western Research Laboratory. After 4 years at DEC’s lab, Forest moved onto Silicon Graphics, where he spent 13 years in a CTO type role 
His work at Silicon Graphics was exciting and varied. He was heavily involved in making key technology decisions, including decisions around potential acquisitions. That experience and his on-going contact with the venture industry led him eventually to join New Enterprise Associates (NEA), where he has had a very productive venture capital career for the last 17 years. 

* 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/102717303

Visit computerhistory.org/collections/oralhistories/ for more information about the Computer History Museum's Oral History Collection..

Lot number: X7999.2017
Catalog number: 102717302

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