George R. Stibitz joined the Bell Telephone Laboratories as a mathematical engineer in 1930. His work at Bell Labs convinced him of the need to develop techniques for handling a large number of complex mathematical operations much more quickly than was currently possible with traditional manual systems. His research eventually led to the development of one of the first binary computers ever built. Stibitz was also the first to transmit computer data long-distance. Later in his life the mathematician became especially interested in the application of mathematics and the computer sciences to biomedical problems.

George Robert Stibitz was born on April 20, 1904, in York, Pennsylvania. His mother was the former Mildred Amelia Murphy, a math teacher before her marriage, and his father was George Stibitz, a professor of theology. Stibitz's childhood was spent in Dayton, Ohio, where his father taught at a local college. Because of the interest in and...