[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 36 (Monday, February 27, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E443-E444]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                        TRIBUTE TO LES T. DAVIS

                                 ______


                           HON. DAVID R. OBEY

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, February 27, 1995
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to bring to my 
colleagues' attention the work of a true pioneer in the field of 
[[Page E444]]  supercomputing on the occasion of his retirement. Lester 
``Les'' T. Davis, chief operating officer and one of the cofounders of 
Cray Research, Inc. in Chippewa Falls, WI, recently announced he would 
retire after 22 years with the company.
  Cray Research began in Chippewa Falls in 1972 as a small start-up 
company with a handful of employees. Les Davis took financial risks, 
made personal sacrifices, and worked extraordinarily long and hard to 
create the first broadly used supercomputer. That in turn created a new 
industry, and with it the company that became synonymous with super- 
computing. Cray now has 5,000 employees worldwide.
  Mr. Davis has served as the heart and soul of Cray Research, 
exhibiting both technological and managerial leadership. In addition to 
his role as the technical and design leader of the company, he has also 
been Cray Research's No. 1 salesperson, winning and retaining many 
global customers over the years with his thorough knowledge of Cray 
architecture, software, and applications.
  Mr. Davis has made a significant contribution to the people of 
Chippewa Falls by helping to increase the economic development in that 
area for over two decades. He also has made an exceptional contribution 
to our Nation in advancing America's leadership in the critical field 
of supercomputing.
  I want to thank Mr. Davis for his vision and the spirit he instilled 
in our Nation's scientific community. We all wish him the best in 
whatever his future holds.


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