# James Evans Robertson

> Ph.D. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1952

**Wikidata**: [Q102115379](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q102115379)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/james-evans-robertson

## Summary
James Evans Robertson (also known as James E. Robertson) was an American computer scientist and university teacher affiliated with the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. He earned a Ph.D. at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1952 and later supervised doctoral students including Algirdas Avižienis, Sylvian Richard Ray, Milos Dragutin Ercegovac, and Kishor Shridharbhai Trivedi.

## Biography
- Born: 1924-03-30 (Fairfax)
- Nationality: United States
- Education: University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign (Ph.D., 1952); Oklahoma State University
- Known for: Work as a computer scientist and university teacher at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign; doctoral supervision of multiple computer science researchers
- Employer(s): University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign (1947–1990)
- Field(s): Computer science

## Contributions
The provided sources identify James Evans Robertson as a computer scientist and university teacher, with a long affiliation as an employee of the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign (1947–1990). He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1952 and is documented with doctoral advisors Nelson Wax and Abraham H. Taub. His academic lineage includes supervising doctoral students who are themselves documented as notable researchers and educators, including Algirdas Avižienis, Sylvian Richard Ray, Milos Dragutin Ercegovac, and Kishor Shridharbhai Trivedi.  

The sources also record his service in the United States Army Signal Corps (1943–1946). Archival presence is indicated via holdings at the University of Illinois Archives. While the materials provided include identifiers for research indexing (e.g., DBLP author ID, IEEE Xplore author ID, Mathematics Genealogy Project ID, MR author ID), they do not specify particular publications, inventions, software, or standards by title or year beyond his 1952 doctorate and institutional roles.

## FAQs
### Q: Who was James Evans Robertson?
A: James Evans Robertson was an American computer scientist and university teacher. He was affiliated with the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign for much of his career and earned his Ph.D. there in 1952.

### Q: Where did James Evans Robertson work?
A: He was employed by the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign from 1947 to 1990. The provided sources do not list other employers.

### Q: Who were James Evans Robertson’s doctoral advisors and students?
A: His doctoral advisors were Nelson Wax and Abraham H. Taub. His documented doctoral students include Algirdas Avižienis, Milos Dragutin Ercegovac, Sylvian Richard Ray, and Kishor Shridharbhai Trivedi.

### Q: Did James Evans Robertson serve in the military?
A: Yes. He served in the United States Army Signal Corps from 1943 to 1946.

## Why They Matter
James Evans Robertson matters in the historical record of computer science primarily through his long-term academic role at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign and his position within doctoral training and mentorship. The sources document that he both completed his Ph.D. at Illinois (1952) and remained employed there for decades (1947–1990), indicating sustained involvement in university teaching and research activity within computer science.  

His lasting impact, as supported by the provided material, is most clearly reflected in his doctoral supervision of multiple researchers—Algirdas Avižienis, Milos Dragutin Ercegovac, Sylvian Richard Ray, and Kishor Shridharbhai Trivedi—who are themselves recorded as computer scientists and/or university teachers. In academic fields, doctoral advising is a key mechanism by which methods, research directions, and professional networks propagate across generations. Additionally, the existence of his archival footprint at the University of Illinois Archives supports his significance to institutional history, preserving documentation for future scholarship about computing and teaching at Illinois during his tenure.

## Notable For
- Earned a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1952)
- Employed by the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign (1947–1990)
- Served in the United States Army Signal Corps (1943–1946)
- Doctoral advisor to Algirdas Avižienis, Milos Dragutin Ercegovac, Sylvian Richard Ray, and Kishor Shridharbhai Trivedi
- Archival materials held at the University of Illinois Archives

## Body
### Identity and Names
- Full name: James Evans Robertson
- Alias: James E. Robertson
- Occupations (as listed): computer scientist; university teacher
- Sex or gender: male
- Citizenship: United States
- Language: English

### Birth and Death
- Birth date: 1924-03-30 (also recorded as 1924)
- Birth place: Fairfax
- Death date: 1993-03-02 (also recorded as 1993)

### Education
- Educated at:
  - University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign (Ph.D., 1952)
  - Oklahoma State University
- Doctoral advisors:
  - Nelson Wax
  - Abraham H. Taub

### Academic Career and Affiliation
- Employer:
  - University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign
    - Start time: 1947
    - End time: 1990

### Doctoral Students (Academic Genealogy)
- Documented doctoral students:
  - Algirdas Avižienis
  - Milos Dragutin Ercegovac
  - Sylvian Richard Ray
  - Kishor Shridharbhai Trivedi

### Military Service
- Military branch: United States Army Signal Corps
  - Start time: 1943
  - End time: 1946

### Archival and Authority Identifiers
- Archives at: University of Illinois Archives
- Mathematics Genealogy Project ID: 13813
- DBLP author ID: 62/5304
- IEEE Xplore author ID: 37304199700
- MR author ID: 303148

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## References

1. [Source](http://www.arithsymposium.org/index.php/james-e-robertson/)
2. Mathematics Genealogy Project
3. [Source](https://archon.library.illinois.edu/archives/?p=collections/controlcard&id=1000)