Larry Roberts

Larry Roberts served as a program manager and office director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency. Roberts and his team was responsible for the creation of ARPANET using packet switching techniques. The ARPANET became the first large-scale packet switched network, and its creation inspired researchers to develop the technologies that would enable the modern Internet.

Dr. Roberts’ accomplishments are many. In 1971 he wrote one of the first e-mail programs, RD, which for the first time allowed users to save, delete, and organize their messages. In 1973 he founded Telenet, the first computer networking company to use packet switching. That company also developed X.25, which became one of the most popular networking protocols.

In 1999 Roberts founded Caspian Networks, which developed routers that enable message prioritization. He later founded another company that developed routers, Anagran Inc.

Dr. Roberts was awarded the Strowger Award in 2004.