John L. Hennessy

John L. Hennessy (born 1952) is an American computer scientist and entrepreneur. He co-developed the Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) architecture and co-founded MIPS Computer Systems. Hennessy served as the president of Stanford University and is known for his contributions to computer architecture and his leadership in advancing technology education and research.

Pioneered a systematic, quantitative approach to the design and evaluation of computer architectures with enduring impact on the microprocessor industry

John Leroy Hennessy is an American computer scientist and chairman of Alphabet Inc. Hennessy is one of the founders of MIPS Technologies and Atheros, serving as 10th president of Stanford University from 2000 to 2016. He was succeeded as president by Marc Tessier-Lavigne. Marc Andreessen called him "the godfather of Silicon Valley."

• Marc Andreessen called him "the godfather of Silicon Valley." Along with David Patterson, Hennessy was a recipient of the 2017 Turing Award for their work in developing the reduced instruction set computer (RISC) architecture, which is now used in 99% of new computer chips.