# Cliff V. Collister > author of 1979 masters thesis at University of Canterbury titled FIDO : a system that can be taught to respond with suitable output messages **Wikidata**: [Q113697900](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q113697900) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/cliff-v-collister ## Summary Cliff V. Collister (1954–1990) was a computer scientist who earned a Master of Science from the University of Canterbury and is the author of a 1979 master's thesis titled "FIDO : a system that can be taught to respond with suitable output messages." He was employed by Lincoln University and his scholarly work is preserved in the University of Canterbury repository. ## Biography - Born: 1954 (place not specified in the cited sources) - Nationality: New Zealand (associated with New Zealand institutions in the cited sources) - Education: Master of Science, University of Canterbury (1979) - Known for: Authoring the 1979 master's thesis "FIDO : a system that can be taught to respond with suitable output messages" - Employer(s): Lincoln University - Field(s): Computer science ## Contributions Cliff V. Collister’s documented scholarly output is his 1979 Master of Science thesis at the University of Canterbury, titled "FIDO : a system that can be taught to respond with suitable output messages." The thesis is recorded in the University of Canterbury’s institutional repository (described at http://hdl.handle.net/10092/9448). The work represents a postgraduate research project in computer science and is the primary named technical contribution attributed to him in the available sources. Collister is also recorded as a computer scientist by occupation and was employed by Lincoln University, as shown in institutional records cited by Lincoln University archives. Beyond the thesis and his recorded employment, the cited sources do not list additional papers, patents, companies, or open-source projects under his name. His academic degree and thesis provide a concrete, dated record (1979) of his research interests and expertise in computer science systems that address output-message behavior. ## FAQs ### Q: Who was Cliff V. Collister? A: Cliff V. Collister was a computer scientist who completed a Master of Science at the University of Canterbury in 1979 and worked at Lincoln University. He authored a 1979 master's thesis titled "FIDO : a system that can be taught to respond with suitable output messages." ### Q: What is "FIDO : a system that can be taught to respond with suitable output messages"? A: It is the title of Cliff V. Collister’s 1979 Master of Science thesis at the University of Canterbury. The thesis is recorded in the university repository (http://hdl.handle.net/10092/9448). ### Q: When and how did Cliff V. Collister die? A: Cliff V. Collister died on 11 August 1990. The cited sources record the place of death as Mount Olympus Ski Area and list the cause of death as an avalanche, classified as accidental. ## Why They Matter Cliff V. Collister’s primary documented contribution to the historical record of computing is his 1979 Master of Science thesis at the University of Canterbury. As a formal piece of postgraduate research, the thesis captures a specific technical inquiry and methodology from that time and is preserved in the university’s repository, making it accessible to researchers tracing the development of computing and systems design in New Zealand academic contexts. Collister’s employment at Lincoln University and his recorded occupation as a computer scientist tie him to New Zealand’s tertiary computing and academic communities. Although the available sources list no further publications or later works, the existence of his thesis and institutional records contributes to institutional memory. His untimely death in 1990 curtailed any further documented academic output; the records that remain—degree, thesis, and employment—serve as the concrete legacy by which his professional life is known and can be referenced by historians, archivists, and scholars studying computing education and research in New Zealand. ## Notable For - Author of the 1979 Master of Science thesis "FIDO : a system that can be taught to respond with suitable output messages" (University of Canterbury). - Awarded a Master of Science degree from the University of Canterbury in 1979. - Employed as a computer scientist at Lincoln University (as recorded in institutional archives). - Death on 11 August 1990 at Mount Olympus Ski Area; cause recorded as an avalanche (accidental). ## Body ### Identity and Names - Full names and aliases recorded: C. V. Collister; Cliff Collister; Cliff Vaughan Collister; Clifford Vaughan Collister; Clifford Collister. - Gender recorded as male in the cited sources. ### Dates and Personal Data - Birth year: 1954 (source: Lincoln University / Living Heritage records). - Death date: 11 August 1990 (sources: Lincoln University archival references). - Manner and cause of death: accidental death due to an avalanche; place of death recorded as Mount Olympus Ski Area. ### Education and Academic Work - Degree: Master of Science, conferred by the University of Canterbury in 1979. - Thesis: "FIDO : a system that can be taught to respond with suitable output messages" (master's thesis). The thesis record is available via the University of Canterbury handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10092/9448. - The thesis is the principal documented scholarly work attributed to Collister in the cited sources. ### Employment and Affiliation - Employer recorded: Lincoln University (institutional record referenced through Lincoln recollect and Living Heritage pages). - Occupation: computer scientist (as recorded in Lincoln University archival material). ### Archival and Repository Records - The University of Canterbury thesis record link: http://hdl.handle.net/10092/9448 (describes the master's thesis). - Lincoln University archival pages document Collister’s employment and personal records, including birth and death details. ### Legacy and Records - Collister is listed on New Zealand thesis and institutional project lists (e.g., NZThesisProject focus). - The surviving documentary record is limited to institutional records: degree conferral (1979), thesis title and repository entry, employment at Lincoln University, and biographical details including birth year and death circumstances. ## References 1. [Source](https://lincoln.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/5892) 2. [Source](http://hdl.handle.net/10092/9448) 3. [Source](https://livingheritage.lincoln.ac.nz/assets/download/8540) 4. [Source](https://lincoln.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/1324)