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Carl V. Page: In Memoriam

Carl V. Page

Computing PioneerProfessor Carl V. Page

Dr. Carl V. Page was a pioneer in computer science and artificial intelligence research.  He was one of the first faculty members of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) at Michigan State University.

Page received his PhD in Computer Science from the University of Michigan in 1965. After teaching at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he joined the MSU faculty in 1967.

Dr. Page at MSU

George Stockman, Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, describes his late friend and colleague as an idea person.

"Our undergraduate program was theoretically based at that time," says Stockman. The environment seemed a perfect fit for Page, who was constantly coming up with new approaches to problems.

"Carl’s professional contributions to the department were enormous," says Anil K. Jain, University Distinguished Professor of computer science and engineering and electrical and computer engineering.

Page served as CSE’s first graduate director and had a critical role in promoting the department’s research mission. In 1967, when he joined MSU, the computer science program consisted of only undergraduate courses. Just three years later, the department offered eighteen graduate courses in computer science.

Today, CSE has over one hundred MS and PhD students from all over the world and is home to about a dozen internationally recognized research groups and laboratories.

According to Jain, Page was "a wonderful presence in the college of engineering."

Page taught courses in Automata and Formal Language Theory and Artificial Intelligence. He was a beloved teacher and mentor to innumerable students until his death in 1996.

Honoring Dr. Page

The Carl V. Page Memorial Graduate Fellowship was established in 1997 in memory of Dr. Page. The fellowship recognizes his contributions as a pioneer in computer science and his role in building a strong CSE graduate program at MSU.

The purpose of the fellowship is to honor Dr. Page’s dedication to graduate education with recipients selected on the basis of a demonstrated interest in and aptitude for computer science studies.

Page Scholars