Inspirational Quotes by Kenneth H. Olsen (American Engineer, Business Executive)

Kenneth Harry Olsen (1926–2011) was an American computer engineer, entrepreneur, and business executive. He was the founder and president of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC,) a major computer company from the 1960s to the 1990s.

Born of Scandinavian parentage in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Olsen studied electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and joined Jay Forrester’s pioneering computer group in 1950. Olsen then worked at IBM. In 1956, he and Harlan Anderson established DEC to exploit a new niche in the growing computer industry—the market for minicomputers, or ‘interactive’ machines, that were less expensive and easier to use than mainframes.

Aided by brilliant engineers like Gordon Bell from MIT, Olsen launched the PDP-8—the first successful minicomputer—in the early 1960s. In 1986, DEC was the second largest American computer company behind IBM; DEC had $14 billion in sales and ranked among the most profitable companies in the nation.

DEC started missing some critical market shifts, particularly toward the personal computer. Olsen famously declared, “The personal computer will fall flat on its face in business.” By 1992, the company suffered heavy losses and stagnating sales, and Olsen was forced to resign as the chief executive. Subsequently, Digital suffered a steep decline and was acquired by Compaq in June 1998.

In retirement, Olsen was a significant contributor to The Fellowship, also known as The Family, a Christian religious and political organization. He was also a trustee of Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts.

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