'Father of the Laser Printer,' Gary Starkweather Passes Away

The First Laser Printer Establishes Itself as a Symbol of Corporate Innovation

The late Gary Starkweather, former Xerox researcher who invented the world's first laser printer [Image source: Computer History Museum, USA / https://computerhistory.org]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Gary Starkweather, a former Xerox researcher who invented the world's first laser printer in 1977, has passed away at the age of 81. His life story and the world's first laser printer he invented, the 'Xerox 9700,' are still widely regarded as symbols of corporate innovation around the world. The laser printer technology he developed is credited with revolutionizing document processing.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 26th of last month (local time) that Gary Starkweather, the inventor of the world's first laser printer, died at the age of 81 in a hospital in Orlando, USA. He became famous for inventing the laser printer while working at Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center in California in 1977, and his invention has been featured in various books and videos related to corporate innovation. The Xerox 9700 version he invented is praised for popularizing printers and bringing innovation to document processing technology.

[Image source=Asia Economy DB]

Born in 1938, Starkweather graduated from Michigan State University in 1960 and worked at the optical company Bausch & Lomb before moving to Xerox. At Xerox, he worked as a technical researcher related to fax and copier production. In 1966, he completed graduate studies at the University of Chester, earning a master's degree in optics. While attending graduate school, he became interested in laser technology, which was cutting-edge at the time, and conceived the idea that electronic signals could be sent directly from a computer terminal to a printer via laser, leading to the development of the laser printer.

In 1977, he also contributed to the digital effects team for George Lucas's Star Wars film and gained fame by receiving an Academy Award. He later moved to Apple Computer and Microsoft, continuing his research in color imaging technology. In 2012, he was inducted into the United States National Inventors Hall of Fame.

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