Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 19, 2026

Edson de Castro

Edson de Castro was an American computer engineer and businessman, best known for being a chief founder of Data General and for designing that company's Nova series of computers.

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Edson de Castro (September 14, 1938 – September 6, 2024) was an American computer engineer and businessman, best known for being a chief founder of Data General and for designing that company's Nova series of computers.1

Life and career

De Castro was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, on September 14, 1938.23 He was founder and CEO of Data General Corporation throughout the 1970s, the 1980s and into the 1990s when he was replaced by Ronald L Skates, a former Price Waterhouse Coopers partner. He also was the project manager in charge of developing the PDP-8 mini computer at Digital Equipment Corporation,4 before leaving to form Data General Corporation.4 As CEO of Data General, he appeared in Tracy Kidder's book The Soul of a New Machine.

De Castro married Jean DeCastro in Norwich, Connecticut, in 1963. Jean was a school teacher and Edson worked at Digital Equipment. They divorced in 1980.5 Edson de Castro died on September 6, 2024, at the age of 85.36

Books

References

References

  1. "Data General NOVA (1969)". Archived from the original on 2001-08-12. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
  2. "Oral History of Edson (Ed) D. de Castro" (PDF). Computer History Museum. 13 January 2003. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  3. "Edson Donald de Castro". Chiampa Funeral Home. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  4. Hyatt, Joshua (April 1, 2003). "The Business That Time Forgot Data General is gone. But does that make its founder a failure?". money.cnn.com. Archived from the original on July 26, 2014. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  5. "DeCastro v. DeCastro". Justia Law. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  6. "Edson Donald De Castro". Legacy. Retrieved 24 September 2024.