The University of Redlands, Redlands, California, which in 2002 inaugurated its new master's in science degree in its GIS program, gave students, faculty, and others a special treat when it hosted a colloquium featuring Roger Tomlinson, the man acknowledged by many as the Father of GIS due to his having developed a true GIS in the 1960s. In addition, Tomlinson received the prestigious University of Redlands President's Award, presented by Dr. James Appleton, for his contributions to the GIS industry.

Speaking in front of a lecture hall filled to capacity in February 2002, Tomlinson kicked off the presentation by reflecting about his work creating the Canada GIS (CGIS) during the early 1960s when he was a young professional working for the Canadian government. He talked about how he first came to create his vision of using computers, which filled entire rooms at the time, for spatial overlays, analysis, and mapping. His described anecdotes, often both profound and amusing at the same time, giving the audience a firsthand account of the impetus behind today's billion dollar GIS industry.

Dr. Roger F. Tomlinson is president of Tomlinson Associates Ltd., Consulting Geographers, 17 Kippewa Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 3G3 Canada. For more information, call 613-234-1001.