Victor Poor

Lore & Background

Victor Poor developed a passion for radio early in life, building his own transceiver from discarded parts and earning his amateur radio license in 1951. After serving in the Navy and working at several technology companies, he collaborated with fellow amateur radio operator Harry Pyle in 1969 to produce the underlying architecture of the modern microprocessor on a living room floor. They enlisted another radio amateur, Jonathan Schmidt, to write the communications software. This design was pitched to Texas Instruments and Intel, leading to the Intel 8008, the world's first 8-bit microprocessor.

Poor joined Computer Terminal Corporation (later Datapoint) as Technical Director, where he oversaw the development of the Datapoint 2200 programmable terminal, the first mass-produced personal computer. He also supervised the creation of ARCNET, an early local area network. After leaving Datapoint in 1984, Poor and his wife sailed across the Atlantic on their yacht Elsinore. While at sea, he developed APlink (AMTOR-Packet Link), a program that integrated Internet with amateur radio to store and forward messages. This system evolved into Winlink, which became a major part of amateur-supported emergency communications networks, notably functioning after Hurricane Katrina.

Reader's Guide

Victor Poor's significance lies in his dual contributions to computing and amateur radio. As co-creator of the Intel 8008's architecture, he helped lay the foundation for the microprocessor revolution that enabled modern personal computing. The Datapoint 2200, developed from his designs, is recognized as the first personal computer. His later work in amateur radio was equally transformative: APlink and Winlink allowed radio amateurs to send digital messages reliably over long distances, integrating Internet protocols with traditional radio. These systems were adopted by the American Radio Relay League for their National Traffic System and were used by the U.S. military and emergency preparedness teams. The system's effectiveness during Hurricane Katrina demonstrated its practical value. Poor's legacy bridges the early days of computing with modern digital communications, and his work remains embedded in both the technology we use daily and the infrastructure that supports emergency response.

Did You Know?

• Poor built his first transceiver from discarded pieces and earned his amateur radio license in 1951.
• He co-created the microprocessor architecture on a living room floor during Thanksgiving 1969.
• His software APlink was adopted by the ARRL for digital message handling and worked after Hurricane Katrina.
• Poor received the ARRL President's Award just weeks before his death in 2012.