# James Thatcher

> computer scientist

**Wikidata**: [Q78816497](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q78816497)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_W._Thatcher)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/james-thatcher-q78816497

## Summary
James Thatcher was an American computer scientist (born 1936, died 2019) documented in major bibliographic and authority databases. He is primarily known as a computer scientist and is represented in library and identity authority files such as ISNI, VIAF, and the Library of Congress.

## Biography
- Born: 1936, Schenectady
- Nationality: United States
- Known for: Work as a computer scientist
- Field(s): Computer science
- Aliases: James W. Thatcher; James Thatcher
- Instance of: Human

## Contributions
The provided source material does not list specific papers, products, patents, companies, or standards authored or founded by James Thatcher. What is documented in the available metadata are multiple bibliographic and authority records that identify him and support discovery of any works he produced. Recorded identifiers include ISNI 0000000117016250, VIAF 121194185, Library of Congress authority no2010073488, GND 1017910480, and several national-library identifiers (including National Library of Israel IDs and WorldCat entity ID E39PBJtCyg8QcwjxXVfpJhQjG3). These identifiers indicate that his name and output have been indexed across international library and catalog systems, making works by or about him findable through standard library discovery channels. The supplied references also record his death on 2019-12-07 and link to an obituary-style notice (Jim Thatcher (1936-2019)), but they do not enumerate specific titles, dates of publication, or inventions in the provided material.

## FAQs
### Q: Who was James Thatcher?
A: James Thatcher was an American computer scientist, documented in multiple international library and authority files under the names James Thatcher and James W. Thatcher.

### Q: When was James Thatcher born and when did he die?
A: He was born in 1936 in Schenectady and died on 2019-12-07, according to the provided references.

### Q: Where can I find works by James Thatcher?
A: The provided metadata lists authority identifiers (ISNI, VIAF, LOC, WorldCat, GND) that can be used in library catalogs and bibliographic databases to locate works by or about him.

## Why They Matter
Although the supplied material does not include specific publications or inventions, James Thatcher’s presence in international authority and library systems demonstrates recognized authorship or contribution within the scholarly and bibliographic ecosystem. Authority records (ISNI, VIAF, Library of Congress, WorldCat, GND and national library identifiers) enable consistent attribution across catalogs and support reliable discovery, citation, and interlibrary linking. This metadata-driven presence matters because it preserves the identity of the creator and connects disparate bibliographic records that otherwise might be ambiguous or fragmented. Without these authority entries, researchers and librarians would face greater difficulty disambiguating this James Thatcher from others with similar names, and locating his output across institutional and national catalogs would be less reliable. The available obituary reference further establishes biographical endpoints used by catalogers and historians when attributing works and contextualizing a career.

## Notable For
- Being an identified and cataloged computer scientist recorded in major authority files (ISNI 0000000117016250; VIAF 121194185).
- Presence in the Library of Congress Name Authority (no2010073488) and WorldCat entity (E39PBJtCyg8QcwjxXVfpJhQjG3).
- Birth in Schenectady in 1936 and death on 2019-12-07 (documented in provided references).
- Use of the names James W. Thatcher and James Thatcher in bibliographic records.
- Inclusion as a subject/title in at least one obituary or memorial notice referenced in the available metadata.

## Body
### Identity and vital data
- Given name: James.
- Aliases: James W. Thatcher; James Thatcher.
- Birth year: 1936.
- Birth place: Schenectady.
- Death date: 2019-12-07.
- Sex/gender: Male.
- Citizenship: United States.
- Instance of: Human.

### Professional description
- Occupation: Computer scientist (as recorded in the provided metadata).
- Field: Computer science.
- No specific employers, academic degrees, or institutional affiliations are listed in the provided material.

### Authority and bibliographic identifiers
- ISNI: 0000000117016250.
- VIAF: 121194185.
- Library of Congress authority ID: no2010073488.
- GND (German National Library): 1017910480.
- WorldCat entity ID: E39PBJtCyg8QcwjxXVfpJhQjG3.
- Additional national library identifiers (National Library of Israel, older ID 004334317; other catalogue IDs as listed).
- Google Knowledge Graph ID: /g/11fqs5gnw3.
- Yale LUX ID: person/1a73c6cb-2efe-458a-8b9b-91956128cff4.
- Share Catalogue Author ID: 104105.
- Nationale Thesaurus voor Auteursnamen ID: 069529434.

### Bibliographic presence and discoverability
- The supplied metadata indicates that James Thatcher’s name is established across multiple cataloging systems.
- These entries are the standard points to begin locating any publications, works, or records associated with him.
- The provided references include an obituary notice titled "Jim Thatcher (1936-2019)" (publication date 2019-12-12) used as a source for birth and death data.

### Limitations of available sources
- The provided material does not list titles of publications, patents, products, employers, or institutional appointments.
- No publication years, journal names, conference proceedings, or patents are provided in the supplied data.
- For specific works, use the listed authority identifiers in library catalogs and bibliographic databases to retrieve detailed bibliographic records.

## References

1. [Jim Thatcher (1936-2019). 2019](https://highlandscurrent.org/2019/12/12/jim-thatcher-1963-2019/)