Mountain View, California, July 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Computer History Museum (CHM) today announced two transformative gifts totaling more than $14 million to honor John W. Walker, cofounder, first president of Autodesk and the coauthor of AutoCAD, a pioneering figure whose work helped define modern digital design and continues to influence how technology is created and used today.
The gifts will enable the creation of dynamic new rotating exhibits and reimagination of the permanent computer graphics gallery called the John and Roxie Walker Computer Graphics, Music & Art Gallery. Located within the Museum's signature exhibit, Revolution: The First 2000 Years of Computing, it is scheduled to open spring 2027. It will also fund key efforts to preserve and make the John Walker Collection accessible to researchers.
The donor, the Mad Scientists Anonymous, shares a deep appreciation for the role of computing in shaping the modern world and has requested that CHM honor the life and legacy of John Walker, a pivotal figure in the personal computing revolution.
"John Walker was a visionary technologist whose contributions helped shape the personal computing revolution and transform the field of digital design," said CHM President and CEO Marc Etkind. "These extraordinary gifts enable the Computer History Museum to preserve an invaluable collection and create bold, immersive experiences that illuminate the technologies influencing our world today. We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to honor John's remarkable legacy in such a lasting way."
The updated graphics gallery will feature elements such as large-scale projection mapping to explore the intersection of the history of computer graphics, music, and art. The gift will also support a curated digital gallery on the history of computer graphics—featuring highlights from the John Walker Collection and made accessible worldwide through the Museum's OpenCHM portal. In addition, it will enable the development of ongoing new exhibitions, ensuring CHM continues to tell a complete and evolving story of how computing, including emerging technologies, has shaped the world.
"John Walker spent his life exploring how technology could empower people to create," said a representative speaking on behalf of an anonymous donor. "By supporting the Computer History Museum, we hope to honor John's legacy by ensuring his ideas, work, and collections are preserved, and by helping CHM spark curiosity and understanding about computing for generations to come."
Leveraging CHM's unparalleled collection of computing artifacts, the newly endowed John and Roxie Walker Exhibit Series will explore a wide range of relevant topics that advance the Museum's mission of decoding technology for everyone—its computing past, digital present, and future impact on humanity.
The gifts are part of Power On: Decoding the Past, Igniting the Future, a comprehensive campaign to strengthen the Museum for the long term and expand how the institution collects, interprets, and shares the history of computing and its impact on the world to inspire the next generation who will lead our future.
About John Walker
John W. Walker (1949-2024) was the principal cofounder of Autodesk, today a multibillion-dollar software company, and an initial coauthor of its flagship product, AutoCAD, which profoundly democratized access to computer-aided design (CAD) in engineering, design, architecture, construction, and beyond. A prolific and entrepreneurial computer programmer, Walker had wide-ranging interests and engagements from astronomy to nanotechnology and hypertext systems.
With his wife Roxie Walker, he helped support a number of cultural and humanitarian concerns ranging from land mine removal to archeological research. The Computer History Museum recently accessioned a substantial collection of John Walker's personal and professional papers and other materials. It includes extensive documentation of his history with Autodesk and a predecessor firm, Marinchip, which Walker established in the 1970s to make microcomputers and associated software, as well as materials from across his wide array of other interests and activities.
About CHM
The Computer History Museum (CHM) is dedicated to decoding technology—its computing past, digital present, and future impact on humanity. Located in Silicon Valley, the Museum curates the world's foremost collection of artifacts and oral histories, documenting the people, companies, and technological innovations that have shaped the world. Supported by staff, partners, volunteers, pioneers, and visionaries from around the world, CHM offers dynamic experiences spanning research, exhibits, events, and an unparalleled collection. The Museum strives to engage and inspire audiences, empowering them to become informed digital citizens and make choices for a better future.
Russell Kelban Computer History Museum (650) 810-0105 rkelban@computerhistory.org
